THE judge chairing a probe into claims of Garda collusion with the IRA has asked the Irish parliament for an extension to the deadline for his final report.
The Smithwick Tribunal has been investigating claims that members of the Garda helped the IRA with information in the murders of the two most senior RUC officers to be killed during the Troubles.
Chief Superintendent Harry Breen from Banbridge and Superintendent Bob Buchanan from Moira were killed in an IRA ambush minutes after leaving a meeting at Dundalk Garda Station.
The tribunal is being carried out in Dublin and financed by the Irish government.
In a letter published on the Irish government’s website on Saturday, Judge Peter Smithwick wrote that he wishes to formally request an extension to the current May 31 deadline to the end of October.
He wrote that until recently the tribunal was on course to complete public hearings this month but that situation changed after several RUC witnesses consented to give evidence after formerly being unwilling to, as well as illness currently preventing retired Garda Sergeant Owen Corrigan from giving evidence.
The judge said a former RUC officer with potentially relevant information will be coming forward in the coming days. Public hearings are expected to be finished in June.
To date the tribunal has heard from 190 witnesses and is approaching its 100th day. It was set up in 2005 and conducted investigations until June 2011 when public hearings started.
The Irish government has not yet responded to the letter.