The Taoiseach's still standing behind his embattled Justice Minister as Matti McGrath continues to challenge the Alan Shatter over the date he was stopped at a Garda checkpoint.

Alan Shatter is to face a Fianna Fail motion of no confidence in the Dail next week as the controversy over his breathalyser continues.

Speaking this evening in Galway Enda Kenny said that he is still standing behind his embattled Justice Minister and that the governmnet will fight against what he has called Fianna Fail opportunism.

Matter has been dealt with

The Junior Finance Minister says that Alan Shatter has answered questions about why he failed a breathalyser test at a Garda checkpoint on his way home from the Dail but if there are further questions about the incident he will answer them.

Minister Shatter said yesterday he failed the test because he has asthma after Independent TD Mattie McGrath raised the issue in the Dail. It is expected Minister Shatter will face questions from opposition parties including why he mentioned to the officer that he was on his way home from Leinster House.

Junior Finance Minister Brian Hayes says if there are genuine questions to be answered Minister Shatter will do so.

"Well if there's any other questions to genuinely ask about this I'm sure Alan Shatter will answer them - he's spent the whole week answering questions in the Dail and on the media, and has done a very good job of it, quite frankly. Mattie McGrath went into the House yesterday using parliamentary privilege to make all of these - he read from a piece of paper, of course - and put this stuff on the record" he said.

"The Minister has replied and if there's any further questions he'll answer them" he added.

'Unable to complete breathalyser'

Last night Mr. Shatter confirmed that he was waved on at a checkpoint in the capital in late 2008 or 2009 after being unable to properly blow into a breathalyser because he is an asthmatic.

He says when he explained to the officer that he was on his way home from the Dail and had not consumed alcohol he was waved on.

In a statement, Mr. Shatter said "I do recall an occasion in 2009, or possibly late 2008, when there was a Garda night-time mandatory checkpoint in Pembroke Street in Dublin. There was a queue of motorists and when I was reached, like those before me, my Road Tax and Insurance discs were checked and I was asked to exhale into a breathalyser. I did so but failed to fully complete the task due to my being asthmatic".

The Finance Minister also says he believes Alan Shatter has addressed the issue of his stopping a Garda check point, and as far as he is concerned the matter is over.

Michael Noonan also says he has full confidence in Alan Shatter who he describes as one of the most reforming Ministers in a long time. And he says the statement issued by Minister Shatter yesterday evening is sufficient.