Gardaí are assessing allegations that Minister of State Niall Collins breached the Local Government Act when he did not recuse himself from a Local Electoral Area meeting in 2007 which agreed to put a piece of public land up for sale on the open market following expressions of interest.
The land at Patrickswell in Limerick was subsequently purchased by Mr Collins' wife in 2008.
The decision to sell the land to Dr Eimear O'Connor was taken at a full meeting of the council that year, by which time Mr Collins was no longer a councillor, having been elected to the Dáil in May 2007.
While gardaí are now examining the matter it is not the subject of a criminal investigation.
Yesterday Mr Collins insisted he had not broken any law, but he said that with the benefit of hindsight he should have recused himself from the 2007 Bruff LEA committee meeting.
He said too for the first time publicly that he was aware his wife had an interest in buying the property when the matter was put to the 2007 committee meeting.
Previously the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Green Party leader stated they do not think Mr Collins breached the Local Government Act.
Today gardaí issued the following statement: "An Garda Síochána does not provide comment on named persons or entities.
"An Garda Síochána is carrying out an assessment, to examine whether there was any criminality involved in respect of certain matters related to alleged breaches of the Local Government Act 2001 in the Southern Garda Region.
"This is not a criminal investigation at this time."
The matter is also being examined by the Standards In Public Office Commission following a complaint made by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.
