Justice Department slow to realise scale of problem in Donegal

John Breslin

Mr Aylward was given the task of outlining the history of how the department dealt with the information it received about Donegal.

As early as June 1997, officials were aware of Mark McConnell and Frank McBrearty Jnr’s denial that they signed a confession to murder, that civil proceedings had commenced and of the complaints of an inept and flawed investigation.