Bail For Sinn Féin Men Accused Of IRA Links

A Special Criminal Court in the Republic has bailed two Sinn Féin men charged with IRA membership.

The charges were brought against Tom Hanlon and George Hegarty as part of an investigation into the £26.5m Northern Bank heist in 2004.

Both men were arrested in Cork on Monday night as part of Operation Phoenix, led by a cross-border intelligence and crime team.

Hanlon, 42, and Hegarty, 62, stood before the non-jury court yesterday, arriving under armed guard.

The court heard that former Sinn Féin councillor, Hanlon, was a father-of-four young children and had made no reply when arrested on suspicion of being a member of an unlawful organisation, the IRA, on February 16 2005.

Hegarty, a father-of-five and Sinn Féin activist, was arrested under the same charges on the same date.

The court was told Hegarty, who receives disability benefits, was a primary carer for his partner and his grown-up child who had a learning disability.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, heading-up a panel of three judges, allowed bail under a number of conditions.

Both had to surrender their passports, and provide detectives with a mobile phone number, which would be answered at any time.

The accused must also report to Togher Garda station twice daily.

A bond of €100 was also requested, while their relatives agreed to €15,000 fines if bail conditions were broken.

Files are currently being compiled for the Irish DPP, with both men expected to appear before the courts again on 23 June.

(PR/JM)