Pressure rises on Shatter in points outrage

Pressure is increasing on the justice minister to explain how he obtained confidential garda information which he used to try and damage an Independent TD’s reputation.

Alan Shatter’s actions were compared to George Orwell’s dystopian Nineteen Eighty-Four and were deemed Stalinist, vindictive, and unprecedented.

However, Taoiseach Enda Kenny backed his minister and said Mr Shatter did not collect files on TDs or anyone else.