Taoiseach Enda Kenny failed to inform the Dáil that he held an early morning meeting with the minister for justice and his officials on the same day the Attorney General raised the issue about garda phone taping, it was claimed in the Dáil today.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said she had sought the Taoiseach’s diary for that week in March under the Freedom of Information Act, which referred to a 7.30am meeting with then minister for justice Alan Shatter and his officials on Sunday, March 23rd.

Ms McDonald said the Taoiseach made no reference to this in his accounts of his knowledge of the phone taping crisis.

She said Mr Kenny said the Attorney General mentioned the phone taping in a phone call that evening during discussion of an unrelated matter.

On Monday, March 24th the Taoiseach met Mr Shatter and his departmental secretary general Brian Purcell, when Mr Purcell was asked to go to the Garda Commissioner’s home, which subsequently resulted in the commissioner’s resignation.

She said the diary made reference to a Sunday meeting or call with the AG on the Sunday at 5.30pm.

The Dublin Central TD asked Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore if he had been informed of the meeting and who was at it and what was discussed.

Mr Gilmore said “these are all questions to put to the Taoiseach directly” he said, adding that he did not keep the Taoiseach’s diary and knew no more about Mr Kenny’s diary than Ms McDonald knew about her party leader’s diary.

The Government Information Service said later however that this was an error in the diary and no such meeting took place.