Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the investigation into the death of Denis Donaldson in April 2006, the Commissioner may have noted the statement from the family's solicitors, Madden and Finucane, which included the following remarks:

At the heart of this case is a criminal conspiracy involving State agents in the exposure of Denis Donaldson as an informer for the RUC, PSNI and MI5, leading to his murder in April 2006. In the cover-up which has followed, Gardaí have invoked "State security" to prevent the return of the Journal in which Denis was writing days before his murder.

The Commissioner will know that the inquest into Mr. Donaldson's death has been adjourned on 22 separate occasions. That has caused not only deep distress to Denis's family but also his legal representatives deep worry and concern. In July 2017 the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland confirmed the investigative value of Denis's journal to his investigation and gave an explicit undertaking to the Donaldson family that he would initiate proceedings to recover it. To date, however, Denis's journal remains within the control of An Garda Síochána, notwithstanding confirmation that it has no evidential value to gardaí. Will the Commissioner direct that the journal be provided for the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland?