At Fianna Fáil’s first ard fheis following its electoral defeat in 2011, a leading British politics academic, Professor Tim Bale, delivered sobering advice to delegates: “You have to realise that your brand is not simply tarnished, it is utterly trashed. It is not just trashed, it is toxic.”

The Taoiseach should “take control” of the controversy surrounding the treatment of Garda whistleblowers and ensure an apology is issued, according to the Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin.