A special inquiry headed by a senior judicial or legal figure is likely to be held into the breakdown of policing in Co Donegal that has led to the largest internal investigation in the history of the Garda.
The Government has not ruled out a public inquiry into the issues, but there is concern at the potential cost of a full public inquiry. The Government's main concern is to establish public confidence in policing after the revelations of corruption.
According to Government sources, a public inquiry into Donegal could take years to complete and could cost many millions of pounds. It is also felt that such a public forum might not be the best way to deal with the management problems that led to the situation in the Garda in Donegal.
More than 1,000 people, gardai and civilians, were interviewed during the internal Garda investigation, and many would expect to receive a hearing at a public inquiry.
Instead, it is expected that an inquiry will concentrate on what is seen as a breakdown in police management in the county, how this came about and why mechanisms to prevent such a breakdown did not work.
There may be a need to introduce legislation to set up a limited form of inquiry to examine the issues. The terms of reference of such inquiry will have to be carefully drafted so there is no conflict with criminal charges arising out of the internal Garda investigations.
Sources say that while the form of inquiry has not yet been determined it is certain that action will be taken to discover what went wrong in Donegal. The allegations include claims that gardai conspired together to manufacture and hide explosives which were then "seized" in Garda raids, and that drugs were planted in order to gain a conviction.
A local publican family, the McBreartys, claims to be the subject of false allegation and harassment by gardai. In December the DPP struck out almost 160 licensing charges against the family.
Two members of the family were arrested and accused by gardai but not charged.
There is also considerable controversy over the killing of a Raphoe cattle dealer, Mr Frank Barron, who was found dead on a roadside on October 14th, 1996.
The death remains unexplained. Two gardai have refused to give statements about their movements on the night of the death.
After two years of internal investigations, lawyers working for the Director of Public Prosecutions are examining the paperwork completed by the investigators under an Assistant Commissioner, Mr Kevin Carty. It is expected the DPP will make a decision around the middle of next month on bringing charges in a number of instances.
Meanwhile, a second internal Garda investigation is continuing under another Assistant Commissioner, Mr Fachtna Murphy. This, too, could lead to further charges.