Matt Carthy calls on Justice Minister to open Public Enquiry into death of Shane O’Farrell
Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, today confirmed that he has again written to Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan appealing to him to initiate a public inquiry into the death of Shane O’Farrell and the actions of all relevant state bodies in response to this tragedy their respective roles in advance and following his killing. Carthy was responding to media reports that the coroner’s court inquest into the O’Farrell killing was not provided with complete information.
Shane O’Farrell, a young 23 year old Carrickmacross man, was killed in a hit and run on 2nd August 2011, by Zigimantas Gridziuska a known criminal who had breached his bail conditions at the time and had 42 previous convictions in three different jurisdictions.
Speaking today Matt Carthy, who is from Carrickmacross said:
“Shane O’Farrell’s family have been calling for an independent inquiry for several years. The Dáil, by majority resolution, called for such an inquiry in a vote last June. It is beyond the comprehension of anyone who has followed this case closely as to why the Justice Minister has yet to accede to this request.
“In today’s Irish Examiner it is reported that a coroner’s inquest into the death of Shane O’Farrell was not provided with the full versions of statements given by the driver who killed Shane. This is just the latest in a litany of failures and omissions that have been discovered relating to the investigation of Shane’s death and the management of the individual who killed him. For the most part these failures and omissions have been exposed as a result of the efforts of Shane’s mother and wider family.
“It is unacceptable that a grieving mother should be forced to go to the lengths that Lucia O’Farrell has in order to get the truth into the circumstances in which her son lost his life.
“Despite sympathetic words from the Minister and other government representatives the truth, as I see it, is that his department has failed to put adequate mechanism in place to address other agencies of the state which failed and continue to fail Shane O’Farrell.
“The O’Farrell family have raised several serious concerns regarding the handling of this case by an Garda Siochána, by the prosecuting solicitor and barrister, by the DPP and by the courts services.
“These questions are so numerous and raise matters of such significance and concern that, in my view, there must now be a public inquiry that examines each of these concerns and addresses the matters raised so that measures can be put in place so that no other family is failed to the extent that the O’Farrell’s have been.
“I therefore urge Minister Flanagan yet again to initiate, without any further delay, the public enquiry sought by the O’Farrell family and endorsed by the elected members of the Dáil”.
ENDS
