DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson has said he hopes lessons have been learned after a former police officer based in Newry claimed he was never warned of suspicions there was an IRA mole in Dundalk garda station.
The mole allegations are currently the subject of a public inquiry in Dublin, chaired by Judge Peter Smithwick.
The former officer, who has given evidence to the Dublin tribunal, wrote to the PSNI demanding answers over why he was not warned of suspicions that there was an IRA mole operating in Dundalk garda station in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the letter – published on the Freedom of Information section of the PSNI’s website – the former officer wrote: “This information was known to some in the military and to some in the RUC who have sworn they reported the information to HQ, presumably so an investigation could take place.”
Using the Freedom of Information Act, the former officer asked the PSNI: “Can you confirm there was an investigation into this information that a garda in Dundalk was passing information to terrorists, the detail of an investigation of such import would surely have been shared with ministers and others engaged in cross-border travel.”
The ex-officer continued: “If there was such an investigation, there should be a record. The record should confirm when the local police at Newry, minister and others were advised of the investigation and of the outcome.”
In response, the PSNI said it has not been able to locate any documentation or information relating to whether or not uniformed officers were warned of the mole rumours.
“Accordingly, I have determined that the PSNI does not hold the information to which you seek access. Therefore we cannot confirm or deny that such a warning was given,” a PSNI spokesperson said.
They added: “The PSNI would also highlight that the [Smithwick] tribunal has been provided with all relevant documents and that the PSNI has fully cooperated with all requests made by the tribunal.”
The PSNI response did not comment on whether or not an investigation had been carried out into the rumours.
The Smithwick Tribunal last year heard evidence from RUC staff officer Alan Mains that during a meeting former RUC Chief Constable John Hermon had told him that Garda Sergeant Owen Corrigan had been investigated and cleared.
DUP MP Mr Donaldson said that he hopes that lessons have been learned from the experience.
“During the period covered by this FOI response, it was a very intense time with police having to deal with many incidents and many threats,” he said.
“However, it is a matter of concern that officers who were under threat were not informed in the way they ought to have been about those threats.
“I hope that lessons have been drawn from the experience of the past so that today those who are under threat are getting the information when they need it – and not only that, but being provided with the security measures that they require to safeguard them and their families.”
A PSNI spokesman responded to Mr Donaldson’s comments saying: “We do not discuss the security of any individual or individuals. However, if we receive information that a person’s life may be at risk we will inform the relevant persons accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk.”
The Smithwick Tribunal is probing allegations that a garda officer or officers passed information to the IRA team who murdered Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan on March 20, 1989 as they returned to Northern Ireland following a meeting at Dundalk garda station.
No-one has ever been convicted of the murders.
The tribunal has been running since 2005. It was due to report its findings to the Irish government on October 31, but has applied for a nine-month extension to report back on July 31, 2013.
Three former garda officers – Detective Sergeant Owen Corrigan, Sergeant Leo Colton and Sergeant Finbarr Hickey – have been named by the tribunal. All three strongly deny allegations of colluding with the IRA.
The tribunal is currently in a private investigatory phase after receiving a quantity of intelligence from the PSNI. It is expected to resume public hearings in the New Year.