Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 99, 380 and 381 together.

I refer the Deputies to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 75 and 81 of 5 November 2013 wherein I indicated that in the interests of transparency, I was consulting with the Attorney General with a view to the appointment of a senior counsel to conduct an independent examination of the report of the serious crime review team on this case. I also indicated that the senior counsel will be asked to do two things, namely, first, to prepare a report which can be put into the public domain on any issues of public interest which may arise from the report, having regard to the rights of all those involved; and second, taking into account existing mechanisms for the investigation of offences, to identify matters, if any, of significant public concern arising from this examination and in respect of which such further inquiry would have a reasonable prospect of establishing the truth.

I am pleased to inform the Deputies that following consultation with the Attorney General, the specific terms of reference for this process have been finalised and arrangements are also now being put in train for the appointment of the senior counsel to carry out this task . I should also say that An Garda Siochána will be asked to cooperate fully with the person appointed.

I have recently written to a representative of the family to update them on progress and to provide them with the finalised terms of reference, which I will also make available on the Department's website. As soon as a person is appointed I will be in touch with the family again but I do not think that a meeting would advance matters at this point.

My priority at this stage is to allow the senior counsel to carry out the examination so that the maximum amount of information can be put into the public domain at the earliest possible date, at which point I will also of course fully consider the outcome of the examination concerning any further inquiry.

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