Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

Today's apology by the Government is long overdue. While welcome, it cannot undo the deep pain and injustice endured by the O'Farrell family for more than a decade. Shane O'Farrell was a bright, compassionate young man whose life was stolen in the most avoidable of circumstances and the system utterly failed him.

I salute the O'Farrell family who are here today for all the work they have done. From the outset I stood with Lucia and the family. Why would I not? It was my duty. I salute the courage of, and pursuit of truth by, the O'Farrell family. The facts are undeniable. The man who killed Shane should not have been on the roads that day. He had a litany of offences and was in breach of bail, a suspended sentence and probation orders. Yet, the State through its courts, prosecution services and An Garda turned a blind eye. We in this House cannot pretend this was a tragic accident alone. It was a systematic failure compounded by cover-up, delay and the disgraceful treatment of a grieving family.

I consistently called for a public inquiry, not for limited reviews or reports written behind closed doors, but a transparent, independent tribunal with the power to compel witnesses to get to the heart of the matter. This apology must be followed up with action. Words mean nothing without justice. As I said, I do not have great faith in it.

I welcome the Minister's words and apology and commend him on the scholarship in memory of Shane, but we have too many legacies. I go back to the Fr. Niall Molloy case from the 1980s who was murdered in a house. I can talk about the Strokestown Four, a recent case, or the Omagh and Monaghan bombings and the fact we did not have a public inquiry into the Omagh bombing. I sat in my office and met the garda who drove the bomb to the Border that night, but nothing was done about it. The Government parties will not even co-operate with the British inquiry into the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland. They are laggards in that respect. Many other families are left there, so I do not know what hope Lucia and her family will take away from this debate.

It is grand to debate it. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle, knows, as he, like me, has been raising it for more than a decade, that it is the system that covers up like this. Lucia O'Farrell is still fighting to get statements and information and she cannot even find out whether the man who killed her son is in this jurisdiction now or where he is. She will not be told. She is not being treated respectfully by An Garda Síochána, which is shameful. Judge O'Hagan had all these strong words that he would send him to jail. Was there any follow-up on that? Did he not have any powers to ask why he was not told? It is a sad vista. I could call it GUBU but I will not. It is systematic in our State. Cover-up and circling of the wagons is going on and will continue to go on, and it is shameful.

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