"Not good," that was the response of many of Helen McEntee's colleagues when they read the newspapers in recent days.
The papers were peppered with references from anonymous sources within the Government voicing disapproval with the Justice Minister.
Their comments came in the wake of Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats stating that they no longer had confidence in the Minister.
Indeed Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly has said that the Taoiseach should now ask Helen McEntee to resign.
After all, the images of Dublin city last Thursday night were the antithesis of what Fine Gael is meant to stand for.
This is the party that has always had law and order as one of its fundamental tenets.
Should a no confidence motion in Helen McEntee be tabled soon, those party principles would be cast under an unforgiving spotlight.
Yet while the Justice Minister is in a difficult position and is offering little by way of explanation around what went wrong last Thursday, her position in Government remains safe.
Well regarded by the upper echelons of the coalition and a close confidant of the Taoiseach, Helen McEntee is under pressure, but crucially she has the protection of the Government's most influential figures.
That is contingent though on order being maintained in the streets in the days ahead. Anything less will plunge the minister into the most hazardous of political waters.
She will also have to deliver a strong performance when she steps into Taoiseach's seat on Wednesday to face questions from the opposition party leaders.
This job was penciled in a few weeks ago as plans were made to provide cover for the Taoiseach who will be attending COP.
But it now has taken on a major significance for the Minister and it could well prove to be a career defining moment.
There will be a focus on providing greater resources for gardaí and accelerating the delivery of things like Facial Recognition Technology.
The amounts being spent on equipment for gardaí will also be emphasised and there will be plenty talk of a renewed wave of garda recruitment.
But will any of this be enough to replace that lingering image of the lone garda under siege at the top of O'Connell Street last Thursday night?
It is unlikely, that it will.
