Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister to the House at the invitation of myself, and Senators Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and David Norris.

I warmly welcome Mrs. Lucia O'Farrell to the House. I extend my deepest sympathy to her and the O'Farrell family on the tragic loss of their beloved son, Shane. It is not natural for a mother or parent to lose a child. It goes against the grain of life and how life is meant to be. Mrs. O'Farrell and her family will have to live with this for the rest of their lives. What adds to the pain and sense of loss is the fact that if the organs of the State had been functioning properly, Mrs. O'Farrell would not be in this House this afternoon and none of us would be here discussing this entire sad affair.

The O'Farrell family have put their own lives on hold since the sad loss of their son, Shane. They have worked tirelessly seeking justice and answers to questions that they rightly ask and to which they have failed to get proper answers so far. To date, the State has failed them in this entire matter. The family are at least entitled to know the facts of what happened on the night in the lead-up to the event. They have been waiting too long. They have been waiting six years for answers. It is not on for any State body to take six years to produce a report on any issue. For GSOC to take six years to conclude a report on this issue only adds to the pain that the O'Farrell family is going through. If we even had a conclusion after six years, we could live with it reluctantly. Alas, we are now told there are more investigations to be done before the family can get the answers to their questions that they deserve.

This is about the O'Farrell family and their son being taken from them tragically. It is about how the State and the organs thereof, in not doing their job, have led us to where we are today. It is important for the O'Farrell family that they get the answers they truly deserve. Lucia O'Farrell said to me that this is not just about her family but also about the future. It is about putting mechanisms in place such that no family or parent will be in this House in time to come discussing a similar issue. It is important that the State learns from the many failings in this entire episode. It is important that we act swiftly to ensure the proper mechanisms are in place so that the organs of the State all know exactly what they are meant to be doing and their responsibilities. As matters stand in the case in question, that has not happened.

No words of ours can bring Shane back. The O'Farrell family will have to live with the loss for the rest of their lives. We can do something, however. Events this week in the Lower House demonstrate that we are trying to do something collectively to address this issue. My party, under its justice spokesperson, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, has called for a commission of investigation to determine exactly what happened. Based on the Minister's comments during the week in the Lower House and this afternoon, it is evident that he has concerns about this but for the O'Farrell family to have closure to its story, it needs a commission of investigation to establish the full facts.