A chef, who has cooked at Aras an Uachtarain, has admitted cultivating cannabis.

Albert Hayes, 54, with an address at North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7 pleaded guilty today to Misuse of Drugs Offences.

He admitted unlawful possession of cannabis and cultivating cannabis at his home address where gardaí found five plants during a search operation.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned sentencing until a date in January.

The court heard the value of the plants, if they had reached full growth, would have been €4,000.

Defence solicitor Tony Collier pleaded for leniency. He asked the court to note that the value of the plants was €100 because they had not been fully grown.

He said his client had been smoking cannabis but did not want to be involved with drug dealers so grew the plants instead.

The court heard Hayes was in a stable relationship.

He has quit smoking and gardaí arriving at his home had been a significant shock.

Mr Collier said his client needed Garda vetting for some of his work, when he chefs at nursing home and other locations.

He has had cooked at various venues including Aras an Uachtarain, the solicitor said.

Adjourning sentencing, Judge Smyth said the court needed a probation report on Hayes and urine analysis will have to be carried out.