Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

I have raised on several occasions in this House the murders of Sylvia Shiels and Mary Callinan in Grangegorman in March 1997. The murders shocked the country and caused great anxiety and concern in the area of Dublin where they occurred. They were probably the most horrific and brutal murders of recent times.

It would be difficult to imagine two more vulnerable victims than these two unfortunate women living in sheltered health board accommodation in Grangegorman. If for no other reason than the extreme callousness of the murder of these two innocent people, this case should be brought to finality, the person or persons responsible prosecuted and justice seen to be done.

For that reason and because I am one of the local Deputies for the area I feel I must support the plea made on RTE's "Morning Ireland" programme this morning when Stella Nolan, the sister of Sylvia Shiels, one of the victims, requested a full explanation and-or an independent inquiry into the Garda handling of this case. There have been at least two major issues involved, one being the miscarriage of justice involving the late Dean Lyons, the person first charged with the murders. The Garda Síochána today issued a full apology and cleared his name, and his parents have accepted that apology. For them this has brought finality to the tragedy. Out of respect for their feelings, I will say nothing further about that aspect of the case.

The sister of one of the victims is at the very least entitled to a comprehensive explanation as to why no one was subsequently charged with the two murders. Stella Nolan pointed out that investigative journalists have written a great deal about this case but the Garda told her that information is not correct. That seems to be all the Garda Síochána will say.

Jim Cusack, in an article in The Irish Times in September 2000, quoted in great detail apparently from a statement made by Mark Nash, the second person to admit to the murders. Nash described in precise detail the knife used and the pattern on the sole of his boots, a footprint of which the gardaí are said to have from the crime scene. Jim Cusack went on to quote Nash giving further details of the crime scene which apparently were known only to the investigating gardaí and the killer.

Why was Nash not charged with the crime at that point? He later withdrew his confession. The very least that can be said is that the Garda made an appalling mess of the investigation of this terrible crime. I am aware of the internal Garda inquiry into the case but regrettably this has not been made public.

We do not know the extent of the Garda mismanagement of the case or whether procedures have been put in place to prevent the same thing happening again. Stella Nolan states that the Garda have told her only that their investigation is ongoing. Is it any wonder that she describes it as an ongoing investigation going nowhere? The buck stops with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell. If charges cannot be brought against the main suspect, surely the reasons for this should be fully outlined to the immediate relatives of the victims. Not doing so gives the impression that the Garda has something to hide and adds to the distress and sense of loss of the relatives.

In the absence of a comprehensive explanation, Stella Nolan is fully justified in seeking an independent inquiry. The Minister must take steps to redress this problem. This case should not be left ongoing or swept under the carpet. I pay tribute to Stella Nolan, who, like the sisters of Robert McCartney, demands that justice be seen to be done. In both circumstances the families deserve to see justice done. This is a matter of significant public concern to warrant an inquiry under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004.

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