An Garda Siochana has issued an apology for an oversight which lead to two gardai travelling to Northern Ireland to interview journalists in the inquiry into the murder of Denis Donaldson without the PSNI being notified.
Mr Donaldson, a former Sinn Fein official who admitted to being a British agent, was shot dead in a remote cottage near Glenties in Co Donegal on April 4 th.
His photograph appeared in a Sunday newspaper shortly before he was killed.
Gardai interviewed a number of journalists in relation to his death.
A statement issued by the Garda Press Office tonight, Supt Kevin Donohoe said the investigation was wide-ranging. "Part of the investigation necessitated the interviewing of a number of media people both in this jurisdiction and in Northern Ireland," he said. "Having been tasked with this job, two members of the Garda Investigation team recently travelled to Northern Ireland where they met with some media people.
"The Garda officers involved had assumed that advance notice had been given to the PSNI regarding this visit through the normal liaison channels. Due to an oversight, however, this was not the case."
Supt Donohoe added that Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy had apologised to PSNI has Chief Constable Hugh Orde.
"Both the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable are agreed that this matter will not in any way affect the excellent working relationship between their two organisations," the statement continued. "Both are committed to ensuring that two-way cooperation and assistance will continue to be a feature in their joint efforts to address criminal activity throughout the island."
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said the apology had been accepted. "Cooperation between the PSNI and our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland remains high," she said.
The statement said the journalists interviewed were not suspected of any involvement in the murder.