Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1203. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps she has taken to set up a public inquiry into the death of a person (details supplied) which was agreed to by a vote in Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14166/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, a retired Judge, Gerard Haughton, is currently conducting the scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of the late Shane O'Farrell.

Judge Haughton furnished an interim report to my predecessor in November 2019. In his interim report, the Judge stated that he would not restrict or limit Shane's family in their submissions to him or the nature and extent of the documentation they wished to furnish to him in his scoping exercise.

I can confirm that my Department expects to receive the final report from the Judge shortly. 

The Judge is of course completely independent in his work, and as Minister I can neither intervene in nor direct the course of the scoping exercise. My Department has been and continues to provide all necessary assistance to the Judge to enable him to complete his work.

While I genuinely regret that this process has taken longer than any of us would like, I am also aware that the Judge is doing all that he can to ensure that the concerns which the family have raised with him during the process are followed through to the greatest extent possible.

With regard to the passing of a Dáil resolution in June 2018 calling for a public inquiry into the events surrounding the incident in which Shane O’Farrell tragically lost his life, my predecessor as Minister initiated this scoping exercise to examine various matters.

Judge Haughton has been in contact with the O’Farrell family throughout his scoping exercise. I am awaiting Judge Haughton’s final report to me on the outcome of his scoping exercise, which will enable me to identify any matters that warrant further investigation or inquiry and the terms of reference thereof.