Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has asked the interim Garda Commissioner for a full report into claims that a Garda texted sensitive information to a paramilitary in Northern Ireland.

The Evening Herald reported that a garda passed on information about two dissident Republican suspects that were being questioned in the Leinster station where the officer worked.

The paper claimed that the garda has close links to a man that was arrested in relation to the 1998 Omagh bombing in which 29 people were killed.

The Department of Justice said it would be “completely unacceptable if information of any kind were to be passed by a member of An Garda Síochána to members of unlawful organisations”.

It is alleged that the garda sent a text message to senior IRA paramilitary member in Northern Ireland.

The British intelligence agency MI5 had been monitoring all phone calls and text messages. to and from his mobile phone.

Senior gardaí were alerted of the situation when they were contacted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland who had been tipped off by MI5.

“It is understood that An Garda Síochána is aware from its own intelligence and enquiries of suggestions that a member of the force passed on the names of persons who had been arrested on a particular occasion,” the Department said.

The Department confirmed that the Garda in question has since resigned and is currently under criminal investigation “in relation to this and an unrelated matter”.

The paper said the former garda joined the force within the last decade.

Last week, acting Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan met with Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe for the first time since he made allegations of the widespread improper termination of penalty points and that at least 10 cases were not properly investigated by gardaí.