John Carty (Fianna Fail)

I offer my sympathy to the McCallion family, who I know quite well, including Nancy and Bob. The father, Bob, was a garda in my village of Knock when I was a young man. It is a very fine family and Nancy has many relatives in our parish. This was a tremendous tragedy and a death that should not have taken place. It happened because of nothing short of thuggery. I know the family is going through a very traumatic time at present because my family went through this some 30 years ago when a member of my family — a member of the Garda Síochána — was shot. I pass on my sympathy to the Garda Commissioner, the McCallion family, the superintendent in Donegal and the Garda force.