John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, for whom I have great respect. I acknowledge that this matter does not fall within his area of expertise and that he is taking it on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, I am disappointed the Minister is not present because he is familiar with the case which has been ongoing for 28 years. It is a serious issue that needs to be resolved, as reputations must be restored. The Minister is a man of integrity and honesty and I would like him to address the case of the brutal murder in 1985 of Fr. Niall Molloy, to which we must bring closure, as the family requires it.

Fr. Molloy lost his life and reputation by attending a wedding in Clara, County Offaly. He was a Roscommon man whom everybody knew, loved and respected. He was Roscommon Man of the Year in 1985. The case still leaves too many unanswered questions 28 years later and the Molloy family deserves justice. Apparently, a senior Fianna Fáil Minister was in attendance at the wedding and a post mortem certificate was signed afterwards by a doctor who did not exist. The judge who heard the case had a clear conflict of interest, as he was a friend of the accused.