At the Veronica Guerin murder trial at the Special Criminal Court today, the garda in charge of the Witness Protection Programme claimed the security of people in the programme would be at risk if details of the its finances were revealed.
The officer, who cannot be identified by order of the court, said the programme is financed from general Garda funds and that he is directly answerable to the Garda Commissioner.
The officer said he had documentation relating to the welfare and relocation of people in the programme but he told Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, counsel for murder accused John Gilligan, that to reveal financial details would risk disclosing information that would be prejudicial to the security of those people.
Mr O'Higgins sought details from the officer of payments made to three protected witnesses in the trial - Mr Russell Warren, Mr Charles Bowden and Mr John Dunne - and to their immediate families.
He submitted that he was entitled to know how much these people were being paid.
The garda said his primary concern in not giving financial details was it might help disclose the location of people in the programme. "The problem for me is in relation to the detail and in the significance of the detail when it is joined up," he said.
The officer is due to return to court tomorrow to give further evidence on the issue.
Assistant Commissioner Mr Tony Hickey, the officer in charge of the Guerin murder investigation, told the court he had talks with the Criminal Assets Bureau about money seized from Mr Bowden, Mr Warren and Mr Dunne.
Assistant Commissioner Mr Hickey said it was agreed to return £10,000 to Bowden, £8,500 to Warren and £820 to Dunne.
It was the 33rd day of the trial of John Gilligan (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sunday Independentcrime reporter Ms Veronica Guerin (37) at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin on June 26th, 1996.
Mr Gilligan also denies 15 other counts alleging the importation of cannabis and firearms and ammunition offences.
The trial continues tomorrow.