Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I welcome the debate. This has been an ongoing saga. Everybody has known about this for the last number of years. In fairness, it was before the Minister took office, but it must be dealt with and resolved. A mother has constantly sought justice and "Prime Time" has reported on it. What has happened in the last number of years is a travesty. A young person has lost his life and the system has failed his family. Unfortunately, the system could fail more families. It must be resolved.

Perhaps a public inquiry is the way forward, but in the public inquiries I have seen since I was young nobody seems to be accountable at the end of them. I hope it is the way forward. This family needs answers as to how a person has continually slipped through the system. It is as if the person knew everybody the way he was able to get off the hook. Then when one follows the line one sees people on the State's side getting promotion, despite an open eye on what has happened not only in that county but also in another county.

The Minister is new in the job and I am not having a go at him. However, at the end of the day, as Minister for Justice and Equality, he needs to show leadership in this and I believe he will. This family needs justice. It is not alone for this family; it is to ensure this failure in the system does not happen again with someone losing their life and someone else basically getting off scot-free and leaving the country. There was a litany of failures involving warrants, fines, etc., in different regions, including Northern Ireland. While in fairness there is some good work between the police in the North and the police here, one wonders what linking up took place. This needs to be taken seriously.

I commend Deputy O'Callaghan. I have spoken to Deputy McGuinness about this. Shane O'Farrell's mother has spoken to many politicians. It took the "Prime Time" programme to kick it into gear to ensure it was brought to the floor of the Dáil once more so that finally the family can get justice. Not alone does the family need justice, but we need to fix the system. There is a duty on us, as legislators, to correct that system when it has failures in it.

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