Updated at 15:20pm
The Finance Minister says Alan Shatter is being 'smeared' by the opposition over the whistleblower controversy.
Michael Noonan says he doesn't know if documents handed to the Taoiseach by the Fianna Fail leader which allege serious malpractice by Gardai will stand up to scrutiny or not.
He's also tried to hurl the controversy back onto Michael Martin by saying that the Fianna Fail leader was sitting in cabinet at the time when the misconduct was alleged to have happened.
Michael Noonan insists Alan Shatter is being targeted:However, United Left Alliance TD Clare Daly says she and other deputies have been fighting an 18 month battle to get the Garda whistleblower allegations on the political agenda.
She believes the relationship between the offices of the Justice Minister and the Garda Commissioner is a serious problem:This come on the back of the Justice Minister saying he had to fire the Garda Confidential Recipient Oliver Connolly.
Alan Shatter outlined the reasons for his decision in a statement - after the leak of a transcript of a conversation between Mr Connolly and a Garda whistleblower.
The transcript alleges that Mr Connolly told Maurice McCabe that Minister Shatter would "go after him" if he felt his reputation was being threatened.
In a statement last night, Minister Shatter said Oliver Connolly failed to deny the contents of the transcript, and he was left with no other option but to relieve him of his duties.
The controversy has led to mounting calls for the Justice Minister's resignation.
Our Political Editor Shane Coleman says Alan Shatter won't be forced out by the Government:Meanwhile, Frank McBrearty Junior is calling for the positions of Garda Commissioner, Minister for Justice and Garda Ombudsman to be 'completely independent'.
The Donegal man came to international attention when the Morris Tribunal found that Gardaí had tried to frame him for murder.
He's now an independent councillor and is demanding that reforms recommended in the tribunal report are acted on.
He's met with the two men and is now calling on politicians to take action:Click here to see a timeline of the events that led to Oliver Connolly's sacking.
