Taoiseach Enda Kenny will announce a new Minister for Justice tomorrow morning.

Speculation is raging in political circles as to who'll replace Alan Shatter.

So far, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar; Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney; Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald and Fine Gael Chairman Charlie Flanagan, a former party spokesman on Justice are being suggested.

The movement of a current Minister into the Justice portfolio would in effect cause a mini-reshuffle.

Alan Shatter's resignation, which was announced by Enda Kenny in the Dail, follows the Government's receipt of a report by Seán Guerin that was critical of the Department of Justice's response to the allegations made by Garda Maurice McCabe.

In a letter to the Taoiseach, Mr. Shatter wrote "I am anxious that any controversy that may arise on publication of the Report does not distract from the important work of Government or create any difficulties for the Fine Gael or Labour Parties in the period leading into the European and local elections... it is my judgement that the only way in which such controversy can be avoided is by my offering you my resignation from Cabinet."

It also comes only a day after the Data Protection Commissioner found that Alan Shatter broke Data Protection law by revealing personal information about Independent TD Mick Wallace.

In May last year, Mr Shatter leaked on RTÉ's Prime Time that Mr Wallace had been cautioned by gardaí for using his mobile phone while driving.

The minister later told the Dáil that information about the incident, which happened in May 2012, was given to him by then garda commissioner Martin Callinan. Mr Shatter has since apologised to Mr Wallace.

You can hear Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirming the resignation in the clip below:

Mr. Shatter was appointed as both the Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence in March 2011.

Special correspondent with the Irish Examiner Mick Clifford says that Alan Shatter was a very progressive Minister for Justice and got through a lot of good work during his three years in office:

You can read Mr. Shatter's full resignation letter to the Taoiseach below: