The former assistant Dublin city and county manger George Redmond, was left unguarded at the Mahon tribunal today while on temporary release from prison to make an application to the tribunal.
Redmond was escorted to the tribunal by staff from Cloverhill prison where he is interned. He appeared today on foot of a witness summons and was left unattended to make an application seeking leave to attend hearings of the current module of the inquiry everyday.
The terms of Redmond's release were that he stay in the tribunal area at Dublin Castle.
While the tribunal was at lunch Redmond remained in the large hall but left the room, heading towards the toilets. He returned several minutes later.
Following lunch Redmond sat on his own to await Judge Mahon's ruling on his application while counsel for the tribunal, Mr Des O'Neill SC, continued with the tribunal's opening statement for the current module of inquiry.
Following Judge Mahon's ruling that Redmond could attend the tribunal on days when the evidence concerned him, he waited in the hall to be picked up by prison staff and taken back to prison.
A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said Redmond was not a threat to the public and was no risk of him absconding.
When asked by ireland.comwas there an insurance issue if the 79-year-old - who is in poor health - fell and injured himself or fell ill, the spokesperson said that information was not available to them.
Redmond is serving a 12-month sentence for corruption in Cloverhill Prison in a case unrelated to his previous appearances before the tribunal.