Dismissed Garda superintendent Kevin Lennon has said he will consult legal advisers about his future. Supt Lennon made no further comment yesterday.
A brief statement from the Government announced: "The Government at its meeting yesterday decided to dismiss Supt Kevin Lennon from the Garda Síochána pursuant to the powers vested in it by section 10(4) of the Police Forces Amalgamation Act, 1925."
Asked how his pension would be affected, Supt Lennon replied: "I will be looking into that." Supt Lennon, whom the Morris report found rose to the rank of superintendent by planning hoax explosives finds along with Det Noel McMahon, has been suspended since Mr Justice Hardiman found he perjured himself during the miscarriage of justice appeal of nightclub owner Frank Shortt in 2002. Mr McMahon resigned last July.
Also in July, Supt John O'Connor and Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick announced their early retirements after being criticised for "gross negligence" by former High Court president Mr Justice Morris.
After the publication of the interim report into hoax explosives finds in Co Donegal, Supt Lennon predicted at the Morris tribunal in July that the Government would seek to fire him "at the first available opportunity".
He told Mr Justice Morris: "You have found that I have orchestrated the planting of ammunition and hoax explosives to further my career in the gardaí and that I have lied. I will be compelled to look for a job which, given your lordship's pronouncements on my character, I will find difficult to obtain."
Nevertheless, he submitted a bill for €37,600 for costs incurred during the explosives module of the tribunal, consisting of typing and photocopying, plus €40 an hour for labour involved in discovery and research.
Last week the chairman refused Mr Lennon's costs, finding that "Supt Kevin Lennon lied to the tribunal on almost every issue on which he gave evidence". He added: "The idea that the people of Ireland should be asked to pay €40 per hour for the many hours that he undoubtedly spent in trying to deceive the tribunal and preventing it from getting to the truth is unrealistic."