The full unabridged email that may bring down the current government.

Michael Flahive, of the Department of Justice, sent this to Tanaiste and former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald’s private secretary Christopher Quattrociocchi on May 15, 2015, which was subsequently sent to her.

Ms Fitzgerald has said she can’t recall receiving the email.

In it, Mr Flahive says he received a call from Richard Barrett, of the Attorney General’s office, and that, according to Mr Barrett, a row had taken place at the O’Higgins Commission of Investigation between the legal counsel for Sgt Maurice McCabe and the former Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan.

Mr Flahive claims Mr Barrett told him the row occurred because the counsel for Ms O’Sullivan wanted to introduce a complaint that the 2006 investigation into Ms D’s ‘dry humping’ allegation against Sgt McCabe wasn’t investigated properly.

Mr Flahive outlined that Michael McDowell, SC for Sgt McCabe, objected to this being raised and asked if Ms O’Sullivan had authorised the argument that this claim was relevant to Sgt McCabe’s motivation.

Mr Flahive explained that Mr Barrett said Ms O’Sullivan had authorised this approach.

On Tuesday night, Sgt McCabe told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar the alleged events outlined in this email never happened.

Readers should recall Ms Fitzgerald, in May 2015, received a lengthy report from GSOC in which it stated the 2006 investigation was carried out correctly.

That GSOC investigation followed a complaint made by Ms D, which was discussed at the Disclosures Tribunal when Irish Independent journalist Paul Williams gave evidence.

When Ms D gave a statement to GSOC, on July 3, 2014, Ms D told GSOC Mr Williams told her senior members of An Garda Siochana and Government were aware of her allegations.

When asked about this, Mr Williams said it was a “throwaway remark” that the then head of the Garda Press Office Supt Dave Taylor said to him and that he later relayed it to Ms D.

Related: ‘This Is About A Failure To Stand By Maurice McCabe’ 

Derek Mooney: What Happened

Previously: Absence Of Malice

In DPP Trouble

Disclosures, Discrepancies And Paul Williams

Fancy a night in The Talbot Gallery, 51 Talbot Street, Dublin 1?

Gráinne Tynan writes:

Add some colour to Black Friday and come along to the Talbot Gallery and Studios this evening, where the resident artists are hosting a group exhibition called In Situ.

As the title suggests, the artists’ work will be displayed in the same spaces in which it was made. The artists will be delighted to answer questions, chat about their practice, and show you around their working studios.

And if you do feel like bagging a Christmas present or two, why not pick up something unique and handmade from our affordable art wall (€20-100)? You’ll be able to shake the hand in question and all!

Artists include: Paula Barrett, Ashleigh Downey, Jane Fogarty, Claire Halpin, David Lunney, Emma McKeagney, Lucy Sheridan, Andrew Simpson, Eimear Tynan, Grainne Tynan, and Suzanne Wawra.

Tonight 5-9pm in Talbot Studios (opposite Connolly Station), in connection with Dublin Gallery Weekend 2017. Free entry, all welcome, refreshments provided.

Talbot Gallery and Studio

Fianna Fail TDs Timmy Dooley and Stephen Donnelly speak to press on their way into the Fianna Fail front bench meeting at 9.30am.

More as they get it.

Meanwhile…

On Today with Sean O’Rourke…

“All I’ve heard since yesterday, and I’ll say it again, is nobody wants an election. So can we come back from the brink please of whatever this particular row is over and I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out what the charge is against Frances Fitzgerald…”

Fine Gael’s Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty speaking to Mr O’Rourke now…

Watch live here

Listen live here

UPDATE:

Election looms as Fianna Fáil decides to table no confidence motion (Fiach Kelly, Sarah Bardon, The Irish Times)

UPDATE:

A Magdalene laundry in the 1950s; Dr Martin McAleese with his report into Magdalene laundries in 2013

This morning.

In the Irish Examiner…

Conall Ó Fátharta reports:

The Department of Justice failed to examine all available evidence when it wrongly refused some Magdalene laundry survivors access to redress payments.

Following an almost year-long investigation of the scheme, Ombudsman Peter Tyndall has published a scathing assessment of the department’s administration of the scheme.

The department had refused several women access to redress, claiming they were not resident in one of the 12 institutions covered by the scheme.

However, the Ombudsman was provided with evidence that some of the Magdalene laundries were either physically linked to the units where the women lived, or were located on the same grounds as the Magdalen laundries and were, in reality, “one and the same institution”.

The report determined that the department gave “undue weight” to evidence supplied by the religious congregations and some of it had been requested and received by the department after the decision to exclude the women was made.

The report also said it was not evident “what weight, if any, was afforded to the testimony of the women and/or their relatives”.

Department of Justice ignored Magdalene redress evidence (Irish Examiner)

Previously: ‘Based On The Findings Of The McAleese Report’

The Magdalene Report: A Conclusion

Broadsheet.ie