Shatter: Connolly's comments to whistleblower 'a complete mystery'

The Minister for Justice said today he was "astonished" at Oliver Connolly's comments to a Garda whistleblower.

Alan Shatter told the Dáil that he doesn't know "what he was thinking" when he told a whistleblower that the minister would "go after him".

"I find the whole thing a complete mystery," Shatter told the Dáil. "I have absolutely no idea what Mr Connolly was thinking," he said.

"To be quite frank with you, I'm utterly astonished at some of the commentary that has now come into the public arena. I don't understand why he conducted himself in that way."

Minister Shatter was defending his decision to sack the confidential recipient.