The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that a leaked document, revealing how the Irish Government made payments to the British army and others in an effort to conceal the identity of workers at the Anglo-Irish Secretariat, "is 12 years old and has no current significance".
The Sunday Times yesterday reported that the DUP had obtained the document, which showed the Republic was involved in "elaborate attempts" to protect the identities of people working with its officials in the secretariat.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said he could not verify the authenticity of the document.