While no evidence emerged yesterday to support claims that lawyers' and politicians' telephone communications had been intercepted by the State, opposition justice spokesmen expressed concern about internal investigations into corruption allegations against gardai in Co Donegal.
Both Fine Gael and Labour said senior gardai seemed more interested in uncovering the sources of their information than investigating claims of wrongdoing.
Mr Jim Higgins TD of Fine Gael said: "They (the Garda) say they are finding it difficult to investigate allegations while they can't establish direct links (with his sources). As far as I am concerned, I gave them the information.
"They are giving a lot of time and resources to try and establish who exactly is providing the information to the politicians and journalists. Really what they should be doing is applying themselves more to the task of checking the veracity of the information."
Mr Higgins said he had no evidence that his telephone was being tapped but he had experienced difficulties with his home telephone throughout the summer. There had been persistent problems with crossed lines where he could hear other people's conversations but they could not hear him. On one occasion he taped the interference.
He had no evidence to suggest information he received or imparted on the telephone had been intercepted. He also spoke about the claims of members of the Co Donegal family, the McBreartys, that they were the subject of false allegations and harassment by gardai.
Mr Brendan Howlin, Labour deputy leader, said he received information about activities in Donegal in June which he passed to gardai.
He said that in his first meetings with the Garda he felt intimidated. It appeared that the primary interest of detectives was to establish the identity of his source. However, in subsequent meetings he felt more reassured that gardai were investigating the allegations .
He had received information about threats being made against other officers by a member of the Garda under investigation. He passed his information to the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, and was subsequently interviewed.
"These are serious allegations central to the whole investigation. I put it to them that they were more interested in finding the whistle blower."
He had two meetings with senior gardai in late June.
Mr Howlin said it was his role as a politician to respect the anonymity of any member of the public who approached him with information about wrongdoing.
Both Mr Howlin and Mr Higgins said they contacted their sources and passed on the investigators' requests that they come forward but in both instances the sources declined.