Gardaí in Tralee, Co Kerry, have received a small number of complaints about alleged harassment of Judge Brian Curtin over the past number of days, it has emerged.
A Garda patrol unit has been sent to Judge Curtin's home on at least one occasion, following a complaint in relation to cars in close proximity to the house at Ard na Li, Tralee. A number of press photographers and journalists have been the subject of at least one of the allegations by a representative of Judge Curtin.
Before the trial two weeks ago in the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee, in which Judge Curtin was found not guilty of possession of child pornography, there had been two complaints to the Garda of harassment of the Circuit Court judge by members of the public in Tralee.
Judge Curtin, who was in Dublin yesterday, was given a week by the Cabinet last Tuesday to offer his version of the events that led to his arrest. He was acquitted in the trial after evidence seized by gardaí using an expired search warrant was deemed inadmissible.
A letter from the Government to the judge said that his reply would "enable the Government to decide on its own appropriate action - whether at Oireachtas level or otherwise". On Tuesday the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, emphasised that the acquittal had been on a technical issue which did not "get to the heart the matter". Mr McDowell insisted that the Government "must act urgently to restore the confidence the people should have in the judiciary".
The Taoiseach later told the Dáil that the Oireachtas might have to deal with the possible removal of the judge from office.