"We can't lose Frances overboard. If we do, the opposition will only come after Charlie".
That was the view of one senior Fine Gael TD last week when it emerged that Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin were tabling motions of no confidence in the now former Tánaiste.
Following this morning's announcement that Frances Fitzgerald has tendered her resignation what happens next?
Labour TD Alan Kelly, whose parliamentary questions on the garda's legal strategy at the O'Higgins Commission precipitated today's events, is already asking questions of the current Minister for Justice.
Mr Kelly has said he wanted to know why the Department of Justice refused to give him any answers to his parliamentary questions about the legal strategy employed in relation to Sergeant Maurice McCabe.
He said the Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan also has a number of questions to answer.
He said: "Why did he refuse to co-operate with the democratic process and answer the questions I had put down? Why did his department refuse to answer my questions?
"Secondly, what is he doing as a minister over a department, with a department that refused to co-operate fully with the Disclosures Tribunal?"
These comments would suggest that, as feared last week in Fine Gael ranks, that the opposition is now going to "come after Charlie".
Sinn Féin justice spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said this afternoon that Minister Flanagan still has questions to answer.
"Why did he allow the record of the Dáil to go uncorrected for so long? He needs to explain that," he said.
Asked if his party will now move to table a confidence motion in the justice minister, the Cork South Central TD said: "We don't support this Government or its minister but we have no plans to that effect."
There were similar sentiments from Fianna Fáil this afternoon.
Mayo TD Dara Calleary said: "This isn't a question of looking for heads or scalps.
"Yes, he has questions to answer. He is long enough around to know to come in to the Dáil and answer those."
Significantly, he indicated his party would not be tabling a motion of no confidence in Minister Flanagan.
With little appetite among the Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil parties to move on the justice minister at this juncture, his position looks safe, for the moment at least.
But Frances Fitzgerald has acted as a mudguard for Mr Flanagan for the last week.
The lightning rod for opposition ire in the last few days, Ms Fitzgerald, has now left the stage and there are huge questions for the Taoiseach and his Minister for Justice to answer.
But the broader question is - is the era of New Politics all but over?
