Morris Tribunal: Senior gardaí in Donegal believed alleged informer Adrienne McGlinchey had access to leading IRA activists when she first came to their attention in Donegal well over a decade ago, the Morris tribunal heard.
Ms Tara Burns, representing Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy, said that the Letterkenny woman had impressed officers "as a reliable and worthwhile informant". However, Garda officers later dropped her because of their belief that she was "stringing them along".
"It is unfortunate that at the time, there were no formal procedures in place by which members of the gardaí who have ceased dealing with an informant to alert other members of that fact."
Ms McGlinchey first came to light as a potential informant on Provisional IRA activity when she approached a detective garda, Bobby Mullally, and told him she was the daughter of a senator, and, as such, the IRA were of the view that her car would not be stopped by the gardaí. Det Garda Mullally was instructed to cultivate her. He knew she was prone to exaggeration but that she associated with suspected IRA members.
"These initial dealings led to a belief, held by senior Garda management in Donegal, that she was a genuine and useful informant, albeit at a low-grade level.
"Accordingly, when she began producing information, it was reasonable to conclude that such information was genuine. Further, the very nature of the information was of a kind that could not be disproved.
"To have concluded at this stage that she was a hoaxer who had gone to such lengths to deceive the gardaí would have been an unlikely and unreasonable conclusion to reach."
Mr Michael Durack SC, for the commissioner, said Det Patrick Cafferkey suffered from medical problems, details of which had been supplied to the tribunal, and no longer had an accurate recall of events that occurred over a decade ago. The tribunal also heard that another garda, Tom Rattigan, suffered from "a number of personal and health-related problems" which affected both his behaviour during the time under investigation and in giving evidence.
A find of suspected explosives materials was made by Ms McGlinchey's landlord, who was called to investigate a reported leak in Ms McGlinchey's flat and reported it to Garda Rattigan, who was in the flat occupied by Ms Vivienne Eccles downstairs.
Garda Rattigan's explanation for contacting Det Noel McMahon rather than his superiors at Buncrana Garda station when the suspected explosive materials were found in the flat was understandable in the context of his "personal and health-related difficulties which Garda Rattigan was experiencing at the time of the find and his anxiety in respect of his relationship with Vivienne Eccles", counsel for the commissioner told the tribunal.
Det Noel McMahon is one of two detectives claimed to have prepared explosives together with Ms McGlinchey that were later used in bogus Garda arms finds in Co Donegal during the 1990s.
He and Supt Kevin Lennon have denied the accusations.