Shatter ‘not told of taping until Monday’

Justice Minister Alan Shatter only became aware of the practice of recording phone calls in and out of Garda stations around the country on Monday evening, his spokesperson has insisted.

This is despite a letter sent to the secretary general of the justice department two weeks ago from Martin Callinan, the former Garda commissioner, about the issue of the recordings.

A spokesperson for Alan Shatter said he did not receive that letter until yesterday morning.