Prosecution expected in relation to Denis Donaldson death

An individual is to be prosecuted in relation to the fatal shooting of Denis Donaldson in County Donegal in 2006, the Irish government has said.

Donaldson was murdered in Glenties after it emerged he was a British agent, working for police and M15 from inside Sinn Féin for 20 years.

Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan met with Donaldson's daughter, Jane Kearney, her husband, Ciarán, and their solicitor on Monday.

In a statement after the meeting, he said the Gardaí (Irish police) investigation into Mr Donaldson's death remained "active and open".

"Furthermore, I have been informed by Gardaí authorities that directions have been received to prosecute an individual for offences in this case and proceedings are underway in this regard," he added.

The family have previously called for a public inquiry into Donaldson's death. No one has been convicted of his murder.

The minister said he had told the family it would not be appropriate to open a commission of inquiry because of the latest proceedings.

"I emphasised the importance of allowing An Garda Síochána to continue its investigation with a view to bringing the individual before the courts as soon as possible," he said.

"I reaffirmed the absolute commitment of An Garda Síochána to this outcome."

Donaldson was once a key figure in Sinn Féin's rise as a political force in Northern Ireland.

But he was found murdered in 2006 after it emerged he had worked for the police and MI5 inside Sinn Féin for 20 years.

In 2009, the Real IRA said it had murdered him.

Donaldson was interned without trial for periods in the 1970s and, after signing the Good Friday Agreement, Sinn Féin appointed him as its key administrator in the party's Stormont offices.

In 2005, he confessed he was a spy for British intelligence for two decades, before disappearing from Belfast.

He was found dead in a small, rundown cottage in Glenties, County Donegal.