A former Garda Commissioner has told the Smithwick Tribunal that he was not told of internal intelligence reports that indicated that a member or members of the force were passing information onto the Provisional IRA in Dundalk.
Now retired Commissioner Patrick Culligan agreed with counsel for the tribunal, Mary Laverty, that the information was "significant" and that had he been aware of the reports the matter would have been investigated.
However, he added that he did not know if the reports had been investigated, to which Ms Laverty replied that the Tribunal did not know either and was still trying to find out.
The first of the three intelligence reports, all of which had come from a usually reliable source, stated that a garda had passed on information to the IRA, which led to the murders of Lord Justice Maurice Gibson and his wife, Lady Cecily Gibson, in April 1987.
The second report said that a garda had passed on information that led to the deaths of the Gibsons in a roadside bomb, but also the deaths of two RUC officers in an ambush in March 1989.
The third report said that a garda had contacted a member of the IRA to tell them at short notice the two RUC officers were coming for a meeting and the IRA then set up the ambush.
Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan, the most senior officers to die in the Troubles, were killed in an IRA ambush just minutes after leaving a meeting in Dundalk Garda Station in March 1989.
Three former gardaí are being investigated by the Tribunal, former sergeants Owen Corrigan, Leo Colton and Finbarr Hickey. All three deny the allegations.
Mr Culligan, who was Commissioner around the time this information was gathered, said: "I was not aware of this intelligence."
He agreed with counsel for the tribunal it would have "huge implications" at the time given that a serving member had just been jailed in Limerick for passing on information to the IRA.
He was asked if he was aware of garda intelligence that said that a witness had been intimidated by the IRA to prevent him giving evidence in a court case against then Det Sgt Corrigan. Mr Culligan said he was not.
Witness intimidation was a very serious matter and the witness said he would have ordered an investigation if he had been made aware of it.
Mr Culligan also said he had not heard of any rumours against any of the three gardaí being investigated by the tribunal.
Gardaí told to salute IRA coffins
A Garda Commissioner gave an instruction to all members that they were to salute the coffins of the three IRA members killed by the SAS in Gibraltar, the Smithwick Tribunal has been told.
Retired Chief Supt Owen Giblin was in charge of the Louth Meath Division and was pictured saluting the coffins of three IRA members as the cortege passed through Dundalk.
The Smithwick Tribunal had earlier heard that Mr Giblin had issued an instruction to gardaí in the area to salute the coffins but no garda complied with that order.
Giving evidence to the Tribunal today, Mr Giblin said he had attended a briefing meeting in Harcourt Square in 1988 at which senior gardaí discussed the policing arrangements for the funerals. The meeting was chaired by then Assistant Commissioner John McMahon.
He told Judge Smithwick then Garda Commissioner, Eamon Doherty, had issued an instruction that unless a member was otherwise occupied, they should salute the coffins of the IRA members as they passed. He then told the officers in Dundalk and no one objected, he said.
Mr Giblin retired from the force two months later.
Retired Chief Superintendent Giblin told the tribunal that he believed RUC officers were coming south of the border too often and therefore were exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.
However, he said he had never heard any allegations or rumours that there was a mole in the force passing information to the IRA.
He did confirm that he heard rumours about then Det Sgt Corrigan that he might be slow to pay people. However, no one had ever made a complaint and he never investigated the matter.
The witness said he regarded Mr Corrigan as "an excellent detective" who provided a good deal of information.
Mr Giblin acknowledged there were personal difficulties between Mr Corrigan and other senior officers.
He said he told the detective sergeant to work on his own but he rejected earlier evidence that he had instructed a garda superintendent and inspector to submit their security related files to Mr Corrigan.
Mr Giblin said he did not tell them to send all their files to Mr Corrigan.
The witness also said that he did not "bar" Det Sgt Corrigan from entering Drogheda Garda Station at any time as had been alleged by a previous witness.
Smithwick Tribunal timeframe extended
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has confirmed to the Dáil that the Smithwick Tribunal will be given additional time to compile its report.
Mr Shatter said the Tribunal chairman would be given until 31 May next to report, which is an extension of six months on the original report date.
The minister said the chairman was also tasked with providing an interim report by 9 March 2012.
Tribunal Chairman Judge Peter Smithwick requested the extra time because the original timeframe - seeking a report by 30 November - would have left just one week to write the report.
