Government and Fianna Fail warned of 'betrayal' to Shane O'Farrell's family if they don't back inquiry call

As the Dáil sits for its final week before the summer recess, a motion tabled by Sinn Féin calling for an inquiry into the death of Shane O'Farrell could be troublesome for the coalition due to Fianna Fáil politicians' ongoing anger over the handling of the case.

It will be a “real betrayal” of Shane O’Farrell’s family if a motion calling for a public inquiry into the death of the hit-and-run victim is not supported by the Government, a Sinn Féin TD has said.

As the Dáil sits for its final week before the summer recess, a motion tabled by Sinn Féin calling for an inquiry could be troublesome for the coalition due to Fianna Fáil politicians' ongoing anger over the handling of the case.

Mr O’Farrell, 23, died while cycling near his home in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, on August 2 2011.

The driver of the car, Zigimantas Gridziuska, left the scene but later turned himself into gardai. It later transpired that prison sentences imposed on the Lithuanian national in 2010 and 2011 were never served and he remained on bail at the time of Mr O'Farrell's death due to “an administrative error”.

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In October 2023, Justice Minister Helen McEntee told the Dáil that a scoping exercise conducted by Judge Gerard Haughton had not recommended an independent inquiry and the Government would not set one up. She acknowledged that this was “not what Shane’s family and those who speak in support of him will want”.

Sinn Féin will now bring a motion to the Dáil on Tuesday evening calling for the Government to establish an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Shane O’Farrell and the actions of state agencies before and after his killing.

The party’s Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said “serious questions” have been raised about “Garda interactions with Gridziuska and various decisions of several state bodies, including the courts and the Director of Public Prosecutions”.

“Shane O’Farrell was failed by the state. The person who killed him should have been imprisoned at the time of his killing,” Mr Carthy said.

“Shane’s family have been failed by the state at every juncture since.”

While Dáil motions are not binding, Cabinet will have to decide next week whether or not it will support or oppose the motion. If it is opposed, Government TDs can be asked to abstain or vote against it. The opposition can still trigger a vote if the Government chooses not to oppose the motion.

This could cause trouble for Fianna Fáil. In June 2018, a motion by its justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan calling for a public inquiry was passed by the Dáil.

Several TDs were angry when the scoping exercise did not recommend an inquiry. Some told the Irish Mirror last year that they would vote in favour of an inquiry if another opportunity presented itself.

Mr Carthy told the Irish Mirror on Friday that he expects Government TDs to back the call for a public inquiry.

“Fianna Fáil TDs have to back this motion if they are to have any credibility,” he stated.

“If they don’t, it will be a real betrayal of the O’Farrell family. It is clear that the questions that were raised in the Dail in 2018 when this motion was brought remain unanswered. It would be inexcusable if anybody in the Dáil, but particularly Fianna Fáil TDs, didn’t support this motion.

“More importantly, I expect that the Government will support this motion because it will be simply disgraceful if they don’t.”

Mr Carthy also stated that if this motion passes, he expects Minister McEntee to establish an inquiry.

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