We could get the information from the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, if he were here. I understand the Taoiseach told us earlier that he was in Galway. I find it extraordinary, given this turn of events and the fact that a senior Cabinet Minister has resigned, that the Tánaiste would not be here, but I will come back to that.

The Minister took the opportunity earlier to extol the virtues of Deputy Alan Shatter and his ministerial career. If one did not know better, listening to his contribution, one would wonder why Deputy Shatter had felt the need to resign. We know Deputy Shatter resigned yesterday not because he accepted that he had faltered or done anything wrong and not because he - or, it seems, the Taoiseach - accepted the criticisms in the Guerin report, but to save the bacon of Fine Gael and the Labour Party and prevent further damage to them in the upcoming elections.

Essentially, he made a party political decision. Former Minister, Deputy Shatter, stood and stands aloof, denying any culpability on his part. He does not accept any responsibility for the succession of debacles that have faced the policing and justice system in recent times; the appalling treatment of the whistleblowers; the appalling treatment of GSOC; the mishandling of the bugging controversy in Garda stations and the collapse in Garda morale and public confidence in the administration of justice. Why should he when the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Cabinet and Fine Gael and Labour Party backbenchers have defended his actions in this Dáil and the media.

We are told that the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, knew of these events mid-afternoon. He certainly did not know about them at lunch time. Deputy Quinn's colleague, Deputy Bruton, also did not know about these matters early yesterday morning because she was on the airwaves reiterating her confidence in former Minister, Deputy Shatter. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, must feel very exposed at this point, or does he?

A question please.

Through each catastrophe, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, stood by former Minister, Deputy Shatter. I am fairly sure that at times the Minister, Deputy Quinn, knew the number of the former Minister was up, that each crisis was a crisis too far and the damage being done to An Garda Síochána and public confidence was becoming serious.

The Deputy is over time.

Yet, he stood by him shoulder to shoulder. The Government rallied around the former Minister, Deputy Shatter, regardless. What does the Minister, Deputy Quinn, think now?

Deputy, please.

Does the Minister, Deputy Quinn, now accept that Deputy Shatter had to resign?

The Deputy is not listening to me. She is over time.

Had it been the Labour Party's call would it have waited for the former Minister, Deputy Shatter, to make up his own mind or would it finally have run out of rope and admitted that he should stand down?

I never cease to be amazed at the warm affection and motherly concern expressed by Deputy McDonald for the well-being and future of the Labour Party. I cherish it deeply and know that we are well liked and minded by the Deputy and that if we ever start to go astray she will, in a careful way, look after us.

We should await publication of the Guerin report, which is currently being redacted at the request of Mr. Guerin as a senior counsel. Many of the speculative questions which all of us in this House have will then be answered. The report will be published tomorrow morning and will then be in the public domain. Many of the reasons people did what they did, specifically the former Minister, Deputy Shatter, will become clearer when the report is published. As stated by the Taoiseach yesterday in response to a question from the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party, there will be a debate on the report, although not necessarily next week. That might be a bit premature. We should first all read the report which comprises 300 pages. When the debate will be held is a matter for discussion by the Whips. Let us await publication of the report tomorrow, which will answer many of the speculative questions that none of us can answer. I certainly cannot answer them. I do not propose to give a speculative response to questions from Deputies. That would not be fair to anybody.

Let us await publication of the report, which will provide clarification on many of the issues raised here and elsewhere. Following discussion by the Whips, a debate on the report will then, as indicated yesterday by the Taoiseach, be held.

If the Minister, Deputy Quinn, thinks that referring to me as "motherly" to the cackles of this almost exclusively male audience goes down well with me or mothers who might be watching he is very wrong. I do not appreciate the tone of that remark.

Talk about being sensitive.

I know a sexist undertone when I hear it, Deputy Stagg.

There was no sexist tone.

Can we get back to Leaders' Question please?

The Deputy has nothing else to say.

I have plenty to say, Deputy Stagg. If the Deputy would do me the courtesy of allowing me to say it, I would appreciate it.

The Deputy should ask a question.

Deputies, please.

As a party, Labour was kept in the dark in respect of the Guerin report and the resignation of former Minister, Deputy Shatter, although the Tánaiste is not here to confirm this. Does the Minister, Deputy Quinn, know whether the Government has yet received the Cooke report? Lest I was a little clumsy in terms of the wording used in posing my initial question, I will rephrase it. Does the Minister, Deputy Quinn, now accept that the resolute denial by former Minister, Deputy Shatter, of a catalogue of events, including the treatment of the whistleblowers, the controversy surrounding the bugging of GSOC, the bugging of telephone conversations to and from Garda stations, was the wrong position to take and that it was a bad call on the part of Government and, in particular, the Labour Party to support him? Does the Minister, Deputy Quinn, believe that the former Minister, Deputy Shatter, had no option but to stand down? Should not the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste have made that clear to him?

This Government moved with extraordinary alacrity to deal with these matters in a united way. On 27 February, it commissioned the Guerin report, in respect of which eight weeks in terms of completion were provided, which timeframe, give or take a few days, has been met. The report will be published tomorrow. Previous Administrations set up public inquiries that lasted for 14 years and cost the taxpayer a fortune and produced results of a different kind. This is an important matter. I know that every Deputy in this House and Senator in the other House shares our concern in this matter. We want to get to the bottom of the various allegations and statements made on the basis of proper inquiries. The Guerin report which will be published tomorrow will, I believe, provide a lot more clarity than I can possibly give today.

Has the Government received the Cooke report?

I am told it is expected imminently. When the time is right we will have a full discussion on the reports and will take whatever actions require to be taken as a consequence.

The Minister, Deputy Quinn, did not answer my core question. Did the former Minister, Deputy Shatter, have to step down?