Five gardai to be transferred to Dublin

Five gardaí referred to in the interim reports of the Morris tribunal are to be transferred from their stations in Donegal to postings in Dublin.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has informed the men that their transfer will be effective from June 24th.

The five gardaí are also likely to be investigated internally and may face sanction, depending on the outcome of those investigations.

The members in question are gardaí Martin Anderson, Letterkenny Garda station; Thomas Rattigan, Buncrana; James McDwyer, Ballybofey; Martin Leonard, Letterkenny, and Patrick McDermott, Lifford.

Two of the five are to be transferred to Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park. The remaining three will be posted elsewhere in the Dublin metropolitan region.

It is not known to which stations they will be posted or what duties they will perform.

News of the men's transfer comes just over a week after Mr Justice Frederick Morris published his highly critical second report.

Already two senior members criticised in the report have agreed to retire following meetings with Mr Conroy on Tuesday. Supt Joe Shelly and Det Supt John McGinley will retire on full pension from July 31st.

Both, among others, were criticised in the Morris report for their management of the inquiry into the 1996 death in Raphoe, Co Donegal, of Richie Barron.

Mr Justice Morris found the inquiry was "prejudiced, tendentious and utterly negligent in the highest degree".

He singled out Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick (since retired); Supt John Fitzgerald; Det Supt Joseph Shelley and Det Insp John McGinley who "all share in various degrees the burden of fault for this matter".

The second interim report, which was published on June 1st, has also been sent for consideration to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The report made a series of recommendations including the establishment of a body to deal with concerns about the behaviour of gardaí. It also said a new means of removing gardaí from office should be considered.

Mr Conroy flew to Donegal on Wednesday for a day-long summit with the most senior officers in that division.

He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, who is in charge of operations, and Assistant Commissioner Nacie Rice, who is in charge of human resources throughout the force. The visit was seen as a morale boost for the Donegal officers.