Too ‘busy’ with trip abroad to speak with Taoiseach

It took the Department of Justice and the Tánaiste four days to tell the Taoiseach about an email which revealed efforts by gardaí to discredit Sergeant Maurice McCabe at an inquiry.

The Government says Frances Fitzgerald was “busy” travelling in recent days, including in Dubai and Boston, and therefore only spoke with the Taoiseach about the email on Monday night.

The spokesman has also said it is “impossible to say” if this Department of Justice email would have been raised in the Dáil yesterday-if it had not been revealed by RTÉ late on the Monday night.