McBrearty Jnr, who was last year found by the Morris tribunal to have been framed by gardai for the murder-thatnever-was of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron, is to spend the next month considering a future in politics.

The revelation comes on foot of last week's debacle surrounding Jim McDaid's U-turn in deciding to attempt to retain his Dail seat in the constituency, and Niall Blaney's decision to join Fianna Fail party ranks.

McBrearty Jnr this weekend told the Sunday Tribune: "I am considering standing as an independent candidate in the next general election. I would like to stand in the Donegal North-East constituency as I believe that Dr Jim McDaid and Niall Blaney have not given the people of Donegal a great service and the way my family have been treated is proof of that.

"Following Dr McDaid's announcement this week that he intends to seek re-election, after saying he was going to resign from politics a few months ago, and the decision by Niall Blaney to join up with Fianna Fail, I think it is time that the people of Donegal North-East had another alternative. Some members of my family voted for the Blaneys over the years but they would not support Niall Blaney's decision this week so that is why I intend to stand."

As McBrearty Jnr lives near Raphoe, which lay in the Donegal North-East constituency before the 2004 Constituency Commission recommended that its electoral boundary be changed, he said he would not rule out standing in either that constituency or Donegal South-West.

Addressing the possibility of his pursuing a political career, he said, "I am going to think about it over the summer before I announce if I am definitely going to go ahead with it. The people of Donegal don't have a proper voice in Dail Eireann and they have nobody to stand up for them on all the problems."