Frances Fitzgerald and the email that could end the government

Suddenly, we are standing on the brink of a general election. How on earth did we get here?

Frances Fitzgerald: one email she may or may not have read has brought the government to the brink of collapse Picture: PA

How did a row over an email sent to Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald turn into the potential cause of a general election?

TDs of all parties were bewildered by the sudden turn of events. One Fine Gael minister, who is no fan of Fitzgerald’s, said Fianna Fáil’s decision to follow Sinn Féin in putting a motion of no confidence in her was “unforgiveable”.

But the events of the past week show that the old ...