The Director of Public Prosecutions has set up an investigation into the circulation by e-mail of a racist poem that apparently originated in his office.
Mr James Hamilton first learned of the poem when contacted about it by the Sunday Times on Friday afternoon. Ironically, that morning he had been talking to journalists about the DPP's annual report.
He asked the IT department in the office to carry out an investigation into where the e-mail originated. A spokeswoman said he was taking the matter very seriously.
Mr Hamilton, who is out of the country until tomorrow, told The Irish Times yesterday that he did not want to pre-empt any investigation.
"The first thing to do is find out what happened. You know the way these things circulate on the internet. We will be checking it out fully and I don't want to speculate further at this stage. The investigation may take a bit of time."
The e-mail was sent to a number of solicitors' offices, after apparently being circulated within the DPP's office. It is understood to contain a number of references likely to contravene the Incitement to Hatred Act of 1989, which prohibits the publication of material "likely to stir up hatred". The Act is under review to ensure it covers e-mails.
Following the failure of prosecutions under the Act, it has been criticised because it places the burden of proof on the prosecution that there was an intention to stir up hatred.
The poem, Immigrants' Poem: At the Expense of the Irish Taxpayer, refers to immigrants as "trash".
The e-mail has been condemned by organisations campaigning for the rights of refugees.