Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin has directed that information amassed in an inquiry into three companies linked to the Ansbacher affair be passed from his department to a number of other public bodies.

But the findings of the investigations into Hamilton Ross, Guinness & Mahon Ireland and College Trustees remain secret,some seven years after they were initiated.

Mr Martin said in a reply to a parliamentary question (PQ) tabled by Labour that the information was being passed to the "relevant" authorities.

He said that such bodies could include tribunals of inquiry, but he did not identify any of the bodies involved.

His spokeswoman declined to say where the information was sent, but the bodies entitled to receive it include the Garda, the Revenue, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

"My objective in giving this direction is to achieve the earliest possible pursuit by the appropriate authorities of any matter which may require action by them," said Mr Martin.

The authorised officer in charge of the three inquiries was directed to finish his work by Tánaiste Mary Harney in the period before she left the department in the 2004 reshuffle.

The fact that the official concerned, Gerard Ryan, did not want to finish the work led to a row in the Dáil between Ms Harney and the Labour leader, Pat Rabbitte. He questioned the timing of the Tánaiste's direction, but she said she wanted the information to be passed to the appropriate bodies.

Mr Ryan provided a review of his work to Mr Martin, but there was no indication in the PQ reply that he provided a final report to the Minister.

"Following the completion of the review... I directed the authorised officer to place at the disposal of relevant public authorities, including tribunals, whatever information arising from his investigative work was required for the purpose of the performance by those authorities of their statutory function.

"This process is currently in progress and I hope that it will be completed within a reasonable time," it said.

A spokesman for Mr Rabbitte said it "seemed extraordinary" that no final report had been furnished, given that more than a year elapsed since the officer was told to complete his work.

"There's an obligation on the Minister to explain the delay," he said.