A member of the Abbeylara inquiry sub-committee said yesterday he believed a concerted effort was being made to frustrate the work of the sub-committee.
Mr Brendan Howlin TD made his comments after counsel for several named gardai objected to questions being put to senior members of the force.
Mr John Rogers SC complained that the questions being put to the officers were "entirely improper" and should not be permitted by the sub-committee chairman, Mr Sean Ardagh. He particularly objected to Chief Supt Adrian Culligan being asked if it was necessary for the gardai to have fired a fourth shot at Mr Carthy.
He said he was not on notice that there would be allegations of impropriety made against the gardai who fired the shots.
Mr Howlin suggested a five-minute adjournment so the subcommittee could make a ruling on the issue. It was the second intervention on the first day of public hearings of the inquiry by Mr Rogers and Mr Howlin said he believed a concerted effort was being made to frustrate the work of the inquiry. Mr Rogers rejected this.
Earlier, Mr Rogers had submitted the inquiry was proceeding "entirely in the wrong way" and he said he was extremely concerned that the basic facts had not been established before Garda officials were questioned.
Counsel for the Carthy family, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, said the issues which the inquiry would examine had been set out clearly.
After a short adjournment Mr Ardagh said the sub-committee rejected the submission that its members were precluded from asking questions on any aspect of the Abbeylara incident.
"This is not a trial. The subcommittee is not presenting allegations against Mr Rogers's clients or against anybody else. It is conducting an inquiry into matters, the subject of its terms of reference," he said.