Detective Sergeant John White will not be able to appear before the Morris Tribunal for the foreseeable future after being hospitalised, his solicitor said today.
The suspended senior officer did not turn up at the resumed tribunal into Garda corruption this morning.
In written correspondence, consultant psychiatrist Dr Louis O'Carroll told the tribunal that Det Sgt White was taking residential treatment on his medical advice.
However, Justice Frederick Morris said he was not satisfied the witness was unable to appear before the hearing and summonsed Dr O'Carroll to give oral medical evidence tomorrow morning.
Det Sgt John White was found in the latest reports of the tribunal to have planted a firearm at a halting site in Burnfoot, and to be responsible for an explosive being planted at a telecommunications mast in Ardara, both in Donegal.
The findings were published just a few weeks after Mr White was acquitted during a criminal trial of planting the shotgun at the traveller encampment.
His solicitor, Paudge Dorrian, told the tribunal that his client was now unfit to respond to outstanding allegations against him. He stressed he was not seeking an adjournment.
"It is not my fault nor his fault that he is unable to attend today. I cannot anticipate his attendance in the foreseeable future, according to Dr O'Carroll," said Mr Dorrian.
Tribunal barrister Peter Charleton SC said a number of witnesses with serious medical problems had been able to give evidence in the past.
"Their condition might well be regarded as more serious than the condition, insofar as it is outlined at all by Det Sgt White's legal representative," he said.
Justice Morris said it had been a striking feature of the tribunal the number of witnesses citing psychiatric conditions as a reason for not giving testimony. He added there were means and ways of addressing the problems.
"If it be the case that by moving the tribunal to the institution in which Sgt White is resident at the moment, if that is the solution to the problem then the tribunal will move there," he said.
"If evidence by way of videolink is the answer then we will address that also."
Det Sgt White had made a lengthy statement addressing many of the allegations against him but he has yet to deal with two outstanding matters, according to Justice Morris.
He said it would not be an enormous strain on anybody to deny the allegations, if he wanted to, and he could see no reason to justify postponing the tribunal.
PA