Shatter is treading on thin ice, another scandal could finish him off

ASKED if the announcement of an independent inquiry into phone recordings at Garda stations was an attempt to divert attention away from the Justice Minister, a Government spokesperson said it would be one of the “more elaborate distractions” ever used in Irish politics.

Early in the day it looked that way. But by the close of what was a day of high drama in Irish politics, it appeared that the fresh details on the monitoring of calls in and out of garda stations only added to the pressure on the Justice Minister.

The statement was issued at 14:50 — a half hour before the Taoiseach faced into a Leaders’ Questions in which he was bound to face calls for the resignation of Mr Shatter, in light of the resignation of the Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.