A lawyer for Mr Michael McKevitt, the alleged leader of the "Real IRA", told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday that he did not believe the defence would be ready to go ahead with his trial in June.
It is the first prosecution for directing terrorism under new legislation brought in after the 1998 Omagh bombing, and anyone convicted of the offence faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Mr James McGuill, for Mr McKevitt, told the court that the defence wanted to make an application for further documentation which is critical to the preparation of his defence.
Last December the court provisionally fixed June 4th next as the date for McKevitt's trial, which is expected to last at least four weeks.
Mr McGuill said yesterday that the defence would lodge an affidavit concerning the application for disclosure within the next two weeks. He told the court he did not believe the defence would be ready to meet the case in June.
The court remanded McKevitt in continuing custody until February 27th, when the case will be mentioned again and it fixed April 30th as the date for hearing the defence application for disclosure.
The court was also told at an earlier hearing that the main prosecution witness was Mr David Rupert, who worked for the FBI and British intelligence, and that he was observed by gardaí meeting Mr McKevitt on a number of occasions.
The court also heard that he had infiltrated the "Real IRA" leadership and attended their Army Council meetings. The court has also heard that Mr McKevitt allegedly met Mr Rupert over a two-year period and asked him to acquire equipment for the dissident republicans.
Mr McKevitt (51), of Beech Park, Blackrock, Dundalk, Co Louth is charged that between August 29th, 1999 and March 28th, 2001, within the State, he was a member of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army and that he directed its activities.