The Special Criminal Court has fixed a date in 2015 for the trial of a Lithuanian national charged with possession of a handgun.
Eimantas Valteris (aged 30) and his co-accused Patrick McDonagh (aged 49) were arrested by gardaí in June in Co Louth and Meath as part of an ongoing operation to counter dissident republican activities in the border area.
Mr Valteris is the first Lithuanian to be charged before the Special Criminal Court.
Valteris, with an address at Park Vale, Grange Rath, Drogheda, Co Meath, is charged with the unlawful possession of a .32 inch auto (7.65mm) calibre IZH 79-8 model Baikal make semi-automatic pistol bearing serial number TPB358706 at Balmoral Industrial Estate, Navan, Co. Meath on June 10, 2013.
McDonagh, with an address at Naughton Close, Dundalk, Co Louth, is charged with the unlawful possession of the same semi-automatic pistol at Main Street, Castlebellingham, Co Louth on June 10, 2013.
He is also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation within the State styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on the same date.
Today, the court fixed March 3, 2015 as the date for the trial of the two men after hearing that there is no free time available next year for the two weeks long trial.
Both men were remanded on continuing bail and Mc Donagh was remanded on bail until January 17 next for mention.