Purcell accused of stonewalling in Dáil probe

A senior Department of Justice official has been accused of "stonewalling" a Dáil committee, after refusing to clarify why he was sent by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the then Garda commissioner’s home hours before he announced his retirement.

The claim was thrown at the department’s secretary general, Brian Purcell, after he provoked outrage from the cross-party justice committee during three hours of questioning yesterday.

Amid scenes described as “farcical” by committee members — one of whom was threatened with expulsion for his criticism — Mr Purcell repeatedly refused to confirm what happened at Martin Callinan’s home at the height of the Garda bugging and whistleblower scandal which ultimately led to justice minister Alan Shatter’s resignation.