The McBrearty family yesterday rejected the suggestion by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell that previous governments were also responsible for them being framed by gardaí.
Mr McDowell said low morale among gardaí was behind the harassment of the McBreartys and other Donegal families.
However, Frank McBrearty jnr, who was falsely accused of the murder of cattle-dealer Richie Barron, said he had nothing against the rainbow coalition, as it was Fine Gael's Jim Higgins and Labour's Brendan Howlin who highlighted their case.
"It wasn't until the Fianna Fáil/PD Government came in that the case got even more serious. We were constantly in the High Court seeking judicial reviews to stop the gardaí from harassing our premises. That wasn't under Nora Owen's watch.
"Michael McDowell is trying to fudge the issues. The Irish public has to realise that this is Michael McDowell spin-doctoring," Mr McBrearty said.
Ms Owen, who was minister for justice in the rainbow coalition, said the Minister was trying to fudge the issue by implying that it was to do with morale.
"The appalling circumstances in Donegal were not because of low morale. It was because of bad Garda management and it was because there were police officers prepared to do dishonourable and dishonest things," she said on RTÉ Radio.
"He would be better off working towards remedying the legislation he's published."
