Opposition’s comments highlight Tánaiste’s precarious position over McCabe email

The Dáil contributions of the Fianna Fáil leader and the Sinn Féin deputy leader this morning highlight the now precarious position of Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, as the controversy over the treatment of the Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe continues.

Both Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald struck a hardline tone, which will have alarm bells ringing in the Tánaiste’s office and in Government Buildings.

It has emerged that Ms Fitzgerald was made aware of the plans by the legal team appointed by then Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan to challenge Sgt McCabe before his cross-examination at the O’Higgins Commission - rather than afterwards, as the Taoiseach claimed last week.

Mr Martin said that the email from a senior official to Ms Fitzgerald, which she said she had forgotten about, was "damning".

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He said it was “simply not credible” that the Tánaiste would forget about this email. But it was “far worse”, he said, that she didn’t follow up on the email.

“She may not have thrown him to the wolves but she allowed them free rein,” he said.

Ms McDonald was even more acerbic. She questioned the Tánaiste’s “judgment, credibility and competence”. She went on to say there were “serious questions” over Ms Fitzgerald’s “fitness for office”.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was in full scale retreat, correcting the record of the Dáil for the third time in 24 hours, acknowledging again that he may have been given incorrect information by the Department of Justice.

So where is this going now?

Sinn Féin sources have said that they will consider a motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste which could be submitted for the party’s Private Members’ time next week. Ms McDonald’s words this morning suggest that is now more likely than not.

If Sinn Féin does put down a motion, it seems - given Mr Martin’s contribution - that Fianna Fáil could not vote confidence in Ms Fitzgerald or abstain to allow the Dáil to do so. That means that the Taoiseach could be faced with a simple choice: his Tánaiste or a general election.