A man has been arrested as part of an investigation into a GSOC officer’s alleged attendance at a party for Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

It emerged over the weekend that a Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) officer had resigned in the wake of allegations he attended the party the night Hutch was acquitted of murder.

Reports suggest he was reported to senior management after telling colleagues about the party.

Gardaí opened a criminal inquiry into the matter earlier this week and GSOC sent a report to the Justice Minister outlining what happened.

This morning, Gardaí investigating the incident searched a home in the Dublin 3 area and arrested a man in his 60s.

He is being held on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 81 of the Garda Síochána Act – which relates to members of GSOC sharing information obtained while carrying out their duties if the disclosure is “likely to have a harmful effect”.

The man is being held at a Garda station in the east of the country.

Earlier this week, GSOC said it immediately removed the officer in question’s access to it systems when it became aware of a “potential conflict of interest”.

It noted that the staff member in question resigned shortly thereafter.