Finance Minister Michael Noonan has denied reports that the Department of Finance had refused to supply documents to the inquiry on IBRC.
Mr Noonan says the department supplied all documents, as requested by the Commission of Investigation, in unredacted format.
He has told reporters in Brussels that he first became aware of the Commission's legal troubles on Thursday evening - ahead of a formal letter being sent to government on Friday.
But he says his legal team believed the Commission had the right to demand all paperwork - and did not think IBRC had the power to refuse it.
The Tánaiste and Labour leader says she is determined there will be an inquiry carried out into write-offs at the IBRC.
Joan Burton's comments come after the Commission of Investigation Chairman wrote to the Taoiseach saying he could not proceed because of issues surrounding confidentiality and legal privilege.
Judge Brian Cregan was asked to look at 37 transactions at the IBRC where there was a write-down of more than €10m - the sale of Siteserv to Denis O'Brien among them.
The government may introduce emergency legislation this week to try and address the issue. The Tánaiste says the public wants answers and we must get those.
The interim report was due before the end of this year, but is now unlikely to be delivered until next year.
Earlier, a Fine Gael Minister said there was no political motivation behind the hold-up.
Minister for European Affairs and Data Protection, Dara Murphy, told Newstalk Breakfast the government wants to see this inquiry brought to completion.
"The judge has written to the Taoiseach, he has been decisive, he has passed it to the Attorney General and she has been asked to urgently respond and report back to government."
However, Social Democrat TD for Kildare North Catherine Murphy says the government has questions to answer about how the Chairman's concerns were dealt with, what advice it got from the Attorney-General and how it will be dealt with.
Deputy Murphy was among the first to publicly raise concerns about transactions at IBRC.
Deputy Catherine Murphy told Newstalk Breakfast: "There is a risk that if the judge doesn't have the power this will collapse...I can't see him wanting to pursue something that really is pretty toothless - his reputation is on the line in terms of how the report would be dealt with."
