A controversy too far for Shatter

His combative style and fearlessness, while often useful in a recession-time government, proved to be his undoing, writes Mary Regan.

FEW had ever waited as long for the job as Alan Shatter. After first being elected to the Dáil in 1981, it would take 30 years for the solicitor to make it onto a seat at Cabinet.

And once he did, it was no surprise that he would cling onto office — through controversy after controversy — until it no longer became possible.