Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise an issue today that I raised with the Taoiseach previously in private. He will recall that before the summer recess I gave him a file about the tragic death of Shane O'Farrell as a result of a hit-and-run incident in County Monaghan in August 2011. Shane's mother, Lucia, is in the Visitors Gallery today. The O'Farrell family believes that their son's death was preventable and that there were multiple failings by An Garda Síochána before and after Shane's death and they question decisions made by the Director of Public Prosecutions. They believe a statutory investigation is the only way their questions will be answered.

I am sure the Taoiseach has read the file. There appears to be serious irregularities in the interactions by some gardaí with the accused. The man in question was known to Interpol. He had 42 prior convictions, including convictions for drug offences, theft, road traffic offences, malicious damage and handling stolen property. At the time he killed Shane, he was on bail from the Circuit Courts in Cavan, Monaghan and Dundalk as well as Newry Court. He continuously breached his bail conditions and re-offended.

Shockingly, two weeks before Shane's death, An Garda Síochána was notified of this man's arrest in the North by the PSNI for being in breach of his bail conditions, but the Garda failed to take action and obtain a warrant for his arrest. On the day Shane was killed, the car carrying the accused was stopped by the Garda drugs unit. It had no NCT and was not roadworthy. The accused, who was a passenger when the car was stopped, assumed the driver's role in the presence of a garda despite not being insured. At the inquest into Shane's death, the court heard that the garda at the scene felt the occupants of the car were in possession of a controlled substance, but the car was not searched. Within one hour, Shane was dead.

Eleven hours later, the accused was arrested. He was released on bail a day later. Gardaí failed to inform the judge of his convictions or the breaches of his bail conditions. In the aftermath of Shane's death, the accused committed further offences. He served a week in Wheatfield Prison for a previous offence and was also arrested in Belfast on two counts of theft. He was eventually tried for motor offences connected to Shane's death and given the option of a custodial sentence or a return to Lithuania.

How could this happen? This is a rural family contributing to the State. They are looking after and rearing their children and minding their neighbours. The Taoiseach might tell me, as has the Minister for Justice and Equality, that Shane's case is with GSOC. It has been there for four and a half years, yet with no result. The case is multi-dimensional, shocking and sickening at every turn. It merits a proper statutory investigation. Will the Taoiseach commit to one?

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