Family of Denis Donaldson hit out at Irish government 'hypocrisy'

THE family Denis Donaldson have accused the Irish government of hypocrisy after an inquest into his death was adjourned for the 26th time.

Mr Donaldson was shot dead by the Real IRA inside a cottage in Glenties, County Donegal in 2006, just months after being outed as an informer working for the PSNI and MI5 for a period of 20 years from the 1980s. He also occupied a key backroom role for Sinn Féin at Stormont.

Last Friday, the Donegal Coroner adjourned the inquest into circumstances surrounding the exposure and murder of the West Belfast man for the 26th time. During the hearing, the Coroner said the body language of An Garda Síochána convinced him to reject the family’s appeal to set a date for the inquest to start. 

The Coroner was also reminded by family solicitor Conor Moylan that legal submissions by Senior Counsel on behalf of the family made more than a decade ago, that the inquest should be compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

In a statement Mr Donaldson's family hit out at the Irish State and others for their hypocrisy and handling of the case.

“Every family who has lost a loved one during the conflict has the same heartache of an empty chair at Christmas time. But for some that loss is worsened by a hierarchy of victims: one where a person labelled as ‘informer’ was selectively demeaned in life and is deemed in death as unworthy of any basic dignity – from any side to the conflict. In these cases, all sides to the conflict seem antagonistic towards the victim’s family asserting their human rights. 

“For the past 17 years, that has been our family’s experience. Our family’s loss and our rights have been treated with institutional contempt. National Security does not justify this. All we are asking is that statutory agencies, and those in authority or oversight, do their job in accordance with human rights and the rule of law. 

“Our family’s ordeal involves the State Agencies in both jurisdictions on this island in uncovering the facts about a criminal conspiracy which resulted in a conflict-related murder, 8eight years after the Good Friday Agreement. The public interest in establishing the truth is clear. 

“In March 2022, the Police Ombudsman found a ‘corporate failing’ under Article 2 of the ECHR by State Agencies in the north in how they treated Denis Donaldson and members of our family. Now, State Agencies in the south of Ireland appear to be acting with the same disregard for the rights of our family, most recently with the 26th adjournment of the inquest. 

“The Irish State – and others – stand in the dock of public hypocrisy if they continue to criticise the UK government’s approach to legacy while turning a blind eye to the mishandling of the case of Denis Donaldson and the injustices which our family is facing. 

“As a family we shall not accept this. We urge others in authority to help us overcome this.”