A senior garda has told the Morris tribunal into Garda corruption that it was not his responsibility to assess the value or credibility of alleged informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey as a source of information on subversive activity, writes Gerard Cunningham.
Supt John P. O'Connor was also asked if the pattern of arrests of Ms McGlinchey, with five in 1991, six in 1992, two in 1993 and only one in 1994, meant she was being protected.
"If that fell on my desk now down in Tralee, I certainly would be looking closer at the situation," he said.
Supt O'Connor, the district officer in Buncrana from 1993, told the tribunal that he was told Det Noel McMahon was handling alleged informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey, and no one else was to interfere with her. However, Supt O'Connor said he was not responsible for such a "hands-off policy".
"That's the instruction I got from the Border superintendent and the chief superintendent," he said. "I didn't initiate the hands- off policy."
The tribunal is examining allegations that two Donegal-based gardaí, Det Noel McMahon and Supt Kevin Lennon, prepared explosives for subsequent use in bogus Garda arms finds.
The two officers have both denied those claims, and Ms McGlinchey has insisted she never had an informer's role.
Earlier, the tribunal heard that Det Garda Noel McMahon was considered unfit to carry a personal firearm by his sergeant. Det Noel McMahon should be "suspended pending an investigation to make a firm determination as to his future in the guards", his commanding officer, Det Sgt Jim Leheny, said in a report to Supt Kevin Lennon in 1997.
In the same year, Det McMahon's gun was taken from him by Supt Kevin Lennon, after Sgt Leheny approached him with his concerns. The sergeant wrote a 12-page letter outlining his concerns about Det McMahon's difficulties at home and on the job, and the difficulties in disciplining him.
He said the detective was not a fit person at the time to serve in the Garda, or to hold a gun or have access to firearms.
But the incident was never reported to Supt Denis Fitzpatrick, head of the Donegal division of an Garda Síochána, as required by Garda regulations, or to Garda headquarters in Dublin.
Supt Fitzpatrick told the tribunal he was unaware of the letter Sgt Leheny had written outlining his concerns about Det McMahon.
"A report as to the seizure of his gun should have been forwarded and if this letter was part of the report that should have been forwarded to me," he said.
He said he did not feel there was a conflict of interest when Sgt Leheny subsequently became part of the inquiry team led by Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty into allegations against Donegal gardaí.
"He did his duty, he carried out any tasks expected of him, and to the standard expected," Supt Fitzpatrick told the tribunal.
There was no conflict as Sgt Leheny did not set the direction of the internal inquiry, he simply carried out tasks assigned to him, he added.