Senior Labour Party sources are insisting they are satisfied with the way in which Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore was informed by the Taoiseach about the delivery of the Guerin report and the subsequent resignation of Alan Shatter as minister for justice.

The report by Seán Guerin SC into the handling of allegations made by Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe was commissioned by the Government earlier this year. The 300-page report, which criticises Mr Shatter and led to his resignation, was received by Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Tuesday evening and is due to be published this morning.

Labour figures said the Taoiseach spoke briefly to Mr Gilmore at an Arbour Hill commemoration ceremony on Wednesday morning to arrange a meeting for later the same day.

It is not known if Mr Gilmore was made aware that the meeting concerned the Guerin report.

They met and discussed the report on Wednesday evening, after Mr Shatter’s resignation, as well as the Cabinet changes. Mr Shatter had seen the report that morning.

“The two of them were out and about that day,” one Labour figure said.

Earlier in the week, the junior Coalition partner had expressed its support for Mr Shatter in the wake of the finding that he had broken data protection law by revealing details of an incident involving Mick Wallace on RTÉ's Prime Time last year.

Mr Gilmore was asked about this at a campaign event at about 2pm on Wednesday, and he said: “My understanding is that he apologised, accepted what he said was wrong and has apologised for that. He did so at the time and I think that apology should be accepted. That’s what people do in these situations.”

Mr Gilmore was asked at the same event if he could give a guarantee the Guerin and Cooke reports, the latter into the alleged bugging of the GSOC offices, would be released before polling day on May 23rd.

“I can’t because I don’t know when they are going to be available.

“I haven’t seen either of those reports but when they are made available to us, the intention is, as I understand, to publish them. We haven’t got those reports yet and we’ll deal with them when we get them.

“Obviously, we are anxious to get these reports as quickly as possible but it is in the hands of Mr Guerin and Judge Cooke as to when they are going to complete their inquiries and present their reports. When we get them, we get them.”

Mr Gilmore yesterday said he received the report on Wednesday.

He was informed of the resignation at 4.20pm that day.

Fine Gael sources say the resignation was only handed in five minutes previously.