Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has defended Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy, saying there has been no failure to carry through on a commitment to transfer five gardaí from Donegal.
In the wake of the second interim report of the Morris tribunal, five gardaí were to move from the county, with the transfers effective from June 24th.
The Minister said one member of the force was transferred on June 24th, but was now absent without leave and had been taken off the payroll. A second member retired from the force. A third appealed his transfer to the assistant commissioner for human resource management. "This was refused, but the transfer has not yet taken place because the member is currently on sick leave."
A fourth member appealed his transfer to the commissioner. This was refused but the transfer had not yet taken place because the member was currently on sick leave and suspended from duty.
A fifth member had taken his appeal to the transfers review body - the last stage in the appeals process - and his case was heard on October 10th.
"The outcome of this appeal will be known shortly," the Minister said.
He told Green TD Dan Boyle in answer to a written Dáil question that the commissioner had taken "all available steps" to effect each of the transfers.
"Of course, due process and the right of appeal must be observed, but if we stand back from the detail and look at the position as a whole, we can see that of the five gardaí concerned, one has retired, one is suspended and one is no longer on the payroll. Of the remaining two members, one is on sick leave and one is awaiting the outcome of his appeal to the transfers review body."