Govt finally apologises for phone-tapping controversy

Fianna Fail has finally apologised for the phone-tapping scandal which rocked the state in the early 1980s and ultimately led to Charles Haughey’s downfall.

In 1981, Mr Haughey ordered his Justice Minister, Sean Doherty, to tap the phones of journalists Bruce Arnold, Geraldine Kennedy and Vincent Browne to find out who was leaking damaging government secrets to the press.