Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)

I bring to the Minister's attention the case of the late John O'Shea who died tragically when a Garda report influenced an inquest carried out by Professor Harbison who said that his judgment was formulated on what he was told by the gardaí, namely, that the man died from hypothermia. Yet under cross-examination from Michael Finucane he admitted that under oath, and he also changed his verdict. We and the family of the late John O'Shea have asked the Minister for a proper independent investigation into his death. Is it again because he is a member of Sinn Féin that his family was denied that?

We need accountability not only from the Garda Síochána but from the Minister to the people I represent and who democratically elected me. It is the people who decided to elect me and the other Sinn Féin Deputies, and the Minister has no right to treat us as second class citizens.

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