Gardai investigating allegations of sexual and physical abuse by several Christian Brothers at a former industrial school in north Connemara have been asked to provide further information by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Since the file on the matter was sent to the DPP several months ago, other former pupils at Letterfrack Industrial School have come forward to claim they were also abused. It is expected to be at least six months before the file is ready to be re-submitted to the DPP.
The Garda in Clifden says some of the information required will involve time-consuming investigations.
The inquiry began two years ago when a man complained to gardai in Dublin that he had been abused while a resident at the Letterfrack institution.
Gardai in Clifden investigated his claims and made contact with several other former pupils of the industrial school, a number of whom also alleged they had been sexually and physically abused by Christian Brothers.
Gardai completed the file at the end of last year. It contained statements from 20 former pupils who alleged they had been abused.
The DPP has returned the file to the gardai seeking more information and, since then, at least four more people have come forward to claim they were abused during the 1960s and early 1970s.
The Letterfrack Industrial School catered for boys between the ages of six and 16 who were orphaned, came from broken homes or were deemed to be young offenders.
It closed down in the mid-1970s.
It is known that three of the Christian Brothers against whom allegations have been made have since died, while three others have left the order. One is living outside the State.
Supt Mick Curley of Clifden Garda station said it could take more then six months for the file to be completed again and re-submitted to the DPP.