Three protected witnesses in the Veronica Guerin murder trials were paid almost £30,000 last year, the Special Criminal Court was told. Mr Eamonn Leahy SC, prosecuting, said the Garda officer in charge of the witness protection programme had prepared figures for witnesses and their families in the scheme for 2000. He said Witness A was paid £13,436, Witness B £12,135 and Witness C £3,985.
The court had asked the Garda to prepare cost figures for Charles Bowden, Russell Warren and John Dunne.
Earlier Mr Michael O'Neill, an assistant principal officer at the Department of Justice, said he attended a meeting at Arbour Hill Prison in October 1998 to discuss Bowden and Warren.
He prepared a memo of the meeting which discussed granting temporary release to the prisoners. He agreed the memo said the granting of overnight release would only be considered on very special occasions and "would be dependent on their performance in court".
He said this was a common phrase and he was worried Bowden would not concentrate on his evidence because he was worried about his family's safety.
It was the 34th day of the trial of Mr John Gilligan (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sunday Independent reporter Veronica Guerin (37) at Naas Road, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996. Gilligan also denies 15 arms and drugs charges.
The trial continues today.