Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish everybody a belated happy new year. I know I am a month behind but it is my first time back.

I got a telephone call yesterday from the mother of a lovely young lad called Shane O'Farrell who was killed in a tragic road traffic accident in County Monaghan on 2 August 2011. Shane was 23 years of age and had completed a law degree in UCD and a master's degree in law in Trinity College. He was just about to start work at the European Parliament. He was killed in a hit-and-run by a foreign national in breach of bail who had 42 convictions and was known in three different jurisdictions at the time. Shane's family believes his death was preventable.

To date, 59 complaints have been submitted to the GSOC inquiry into Shane's case and the O'Farrell family has received no response. The case has been with GSOC for four and a half years, yet there has been no result. This is completely unacceptable. It is unjust that the family must go without answers. The difficulty this family has experienced through losing an only son is horrendous. It is disrespectful to leave the family with no response in respect of Shane's case. The delay is causing ongoing trauma to the family. The man in question is known to Interpol. His convictions include convictions for road traffic offences, drug offences and theft, to name but a few. At the time he killed Shane, he was on bail from the Circuit Courts in Monaghan, Dundalk and Cavan as well as the court in Newry. He continuously re-offended and breached his bail conditions. From reading the files on this case, there appear to be irregularities in the interactions between gardaí and the accused. The O'Farrell family believes that there were multiple failures on the part of An Garda Síochána before and after Shane's death and questions decisions made by the DPP. The family believes a statutory investigation is the only way their questions will be answered. Therefore, I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to hold a statutory investigation into Shane's case.