Galway county councillor Michael "the Stroke" Fahy was discharged from hospital yesterday afternoon but did not make his way to the local Garda station to surrender into the custody of gardaí as expected.
Attempts to contact him last night were unsuccessful and his whereabouts were unknown.
The Health Service Executive (West) confirmed that Mr Fahy was discharged from University College Hospital in Galway just after 4pm following a minor cardiac procedure last week in which a stent was inserted in an artery. This followed several days of monitoring when doctors feared he would have a stroke because of high blood pressure.
The 56-year-old councillor had been rushed to hospital last Monday week, hours before he was due to begin his one-year jail term for fraud and attempted theft of Galway County Council funds.
He is not thought to have been transferred to a convalescence home as patients generally have to be over the age of 65 to qualify for respite care.
Gardaí in Loughrea said Cllr Fahy had so far not contacted them to inform them of his release from hospital.
"The warrant is live. Once we're aware he's out of hospital we'll be executing it. But we've been told nothing officially yet," said one senior officer.
Gardaí said they would not be searching for the Ardrahan councillor at his home last night but would find out where he was staying today if contact had still not been established. "We wouldn't be going down to the house or anything yet.
"There may be some medical condition attached to his release. We just don't know, but we'll be talking to him soon no doubt," said the garda.
Another garda on duty earlier in the day said they had expected Cllr Fahy to turn up at the station immediately after his release from hospital.
"I'd have thought he'd have made an arrangement to come and meet us. He has to serve the time. He'll go to prison regardless."
Cllr Fahy has been on medication for high blood pressure for nine years and suffers from a vitamin deficiency. The operation he underwent last week involved the insertion of a stent into a heart artery to widen it and to allow the blood to flow more freely.
His 96-year-old mother Mae remains in Merlin Park Hospital while awaiting a bed to become available at St Brendan's Nursing Home in Loughrea.
She lives with Cllr Fahy in Ardrahan, Co Galway, but was moved to the hospital on Monday of last week, the day her son was due to present himself at Loughrea Garda station prior to beginning his prison sentence.
He was subsequently taken to hospital, however, after a friend called to his house and found him to be unwell.
Following his conviction at Galway Circuit Court last month, Mr Fahy was given a fortnight by Judge Raymond Groarke to make personal arrangements before beginning his jail term.