The Garda will send two officers to Colombia on Wednesday in relation to the "Colombia Three", having spent several days last week casting doubt on the Minister for Justice's assertion that such a development was likely or certain.
A Garda spokesman said yesterday that two officers, one from the National Bureau of Crime and Security and the other from the crime and security division, will spend as long as is necessary in Colombia to see if this can advance their investigation.
The decision to send gardaí, which the spokesman said was made only last Friday, came after two days of contradictory statements from Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and the Garda's senior spokesman.
On Wednesday, Mr McDowell briefed the Cabinet to the effect that the Garda would "probably" visit Colombia, only for the Garda to counter that such a trip was merely one of many "possible" options.
On Thursday morning, Mr McDowell said such a visit was now "certain", only for the spokesman for Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to indicate that it was not, and that the decision had not been made on whether or not to send officers.
The spokesman said yesterday that "this information was accurate and correct and given in good faith at the time".
He added: "But you appreciate that this has always been a fluid investigation, and in any investigation you can change tack on a daily or an hourly basis, and this is what happened in this case."
Circumstances had changed between Thursday and Friday and the decision was an operational one, he said.
The affair, in which the Garda implicitly insisted that it was it, and not the Minister, who should make decisions and announcements on operational matters, points to tension between the Garda and the Minister over conduct of the "Colombia Three" investigation.
Last month, Mr McDowell and his party were annoyed at the manner in which the Garda allowed the three men arrive at Garda stations and walk free again in a blaze of publicity.
Reliable sources report that gardaí for their part have been irritated at Progressive Democrat demands for "action" in the case. These included demands that the men be arrested, when there appeared to be no legal basis for their arrest.
It is also understood that gardaí were irritated at Mr McDowell's demands for detailed briefings on the investigation, which they believe suggested the investigation was under Government supervision. The Minister is entitled to seek such briefings, and to demand access to any Garda documentation under new legislation passed this year.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday he did not think the Sinn Féin leadership had orchestrated the return to Ireland of the "Colombia Three".
"I think IRA sources were probably more running this whole operation because Martin McGuinness told me at the time that he didn't know what the operations of these people in Columbia and I believed him at that time," he said on Today FM.
Asked if police intelligence suggested the "Colombia Three" had been on IRA business, he said: "What kind of an operation they were up to I think is uncertain. But they certainly were on some business . . . anything we know would indicate that it was an operational issue on some basis. I don't think it's quite clear on what."