 Reynolds went before the Dáil and said that if he had known 'then' what he 'knew now' about the incompetent handling of the case by the AG's office he would not have appointed Whelehan to the judicial post.However Reynolds was damaged politically, having appeared more interested in holding on to power than in the integrity of government actions.Spring decided that he could not go back into government with Reynolds, and the Labour Party resigned from government on 16 November 1994.