The Cabinet is believed to have decided yesterday to sack Supt Kevin Lennon from the Garda as a direct consequence of the Morris Tribunal report which said he had orchestrated hoax explosives finds to further his career.
A Government spokeswoman confirmed last night that the Cabinet had discussed the matter, but would not comment on the decision.
This is understood to arise from the requirement that a senior officer sacked by the Cabinet must be notified of this in writing, and that this had not happened by last night.
The sacking was widely expected after the damning interim report from the Morris Tribunal into Garda activities.
Just days after the publication of the interim report by Mr Justice Frederick Morris, Supt Lennon told the tribunal it was "a foregone conclusion" that he would be sacked. He said this during an unsuccessful application for free legal aid.
Supt Lennon and Det Garda Noel McMahon were found by the tribunal both to have orchestrated the hoax explosives finds and to have offered the tribunal "a tissue of lies".
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, resolved in July to seek the dismissal of Supt Lennon, who had been suspended from his job since August 2002.
Gardaí from the rank of superintendent and higher cannot be fired by the Garda Commissioner, but must be removed from their posts by the Cabinet.
Supt Lennon will be the first senior officer to be fired in this way arising from the report of the Morris Tribunal. Det Garda McMahon has already resigned, while two other Garda officers have taken early retirement.
One of these, Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick, was said by the tribunal to have been "gravely at fault" for not properly investigating the activities of Supt Lennon, Det Garda McMahon and Ms Adrienne McGlinchey, who they claimed was an IRA informer.
Mr Justice Morris found that Chief Supt Fitzpatrick was not involved in corruption, but should have followed up on the activities of this trio.
His report also said that on one occasion Chief Supt Fitzpatrick had "abused his position to settle an old score" with Supt Lennon.