Sinn Féin TD for Louth Gerry Adams has this morning met with Lucia O’Farrell and her daughter Amy who were outside Leinster House protesting at the actions of the Dept of Justice in rejecting the terms of reference proposed by Justice Haughton as part of his ‘scoping exercise’ into the unlawful killing of 23 year old law student Shane O’Farrell.
The Louth TD called on the Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan to honour the ‘letter and the spirit of the unanimous Dáil motion and to establish the public inquiry that the family are campaigning for.’
Deputy Adams said:
“On the 14th of June 2018 a majority of Dáil members voted in favour of a motion calling for a public inquiry into the death of Shane O’Farrell. This was followed, by a unanimous vote to the same effect, in the Seanad, on the 13th of February, 2019.
“Support for this motion demonstrates that a majority of the Dáil & Seanad are not satisfied with the investigations held to date to establish the full facts surrounding the multiple failures of the criminal justice process to prevent the death of Shane O’Farrell. The Oireachtas concluded that the previous investigations had not addressed these failures.
“In response, the Minister for Justice ignored the Dáil motion for a public inquiry and appointed retired judge Mr. Justice Haughton to conduct a scoping exercise to address the ‘public controversy surrounding the circumstances of Shane’s death’.
“The family met Justice Haughton to discuss the terms of reference for the scoping exercise and in April he submitted his recommendations.
“To its shame the Department of Justice has not only rejected Justice Haughton’s proposed terms of reference, but narrowed its own original terms even further. This is unacceptable.
“The Minister for Justice should now move speedily to honour the letter and the spirit of the unanimous Dáil motion and to establish the public inquiry that the family are campaigning for.”
