Public Inquiries
Dail Éireann — 2023-02-16
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Matt Carthy (SF), Cavan-Monaghan

Under the European Convention on Human Rights, the State is obliged to ensure an effective investigation into the wider circumstances surrounding the death of a citizen. In Mr. O'Farrell's case, that has not happened. There has never been a proper inquiry that is thorough, comprehensive and transparent. This House has determined that the only way that can be done is through a public inquiry. Some 11 months before this man killed Mr. O'Farrell, he was before a Circuit Court judge. In continuing the bail, this judge specified that if this person were to reoffend in any instance, he was to be brought back before that court. This person committed 11 further offences, including an offence that was committed a half hour or thereabouts before Mr. O'Farrell was killed, when this individual was stopped by gardaí. The questions involved in this are profound and will have serious repercussions for An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Director of Public Prosecutions and, perhaps, other State agencies. However, as a State, we have to get answers to those questions. We have to expose where wrongdoing has occurred to ensure that no other family goes through what the O'Farrell family has been going through over the last 12 years.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-02-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:35+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-02-16