Justice Minister apologises to Shane O'Farrell's family

Sinn Féin says apology is governemnt's acceptance of state failings

Today, the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan issued a public apology to the family of Shane O’Farrell for state failings which meant the man who killed their son and brother, Zigimantas Gridziuska, evaded the law and was free to cause death.

The apology has come after 14 years of campaigning by Shane’s family for truth, justice, accountability and disclosure from the Irish government.

In a speech lasting over 18 minutes in the Dáil today, the Justice Minister laid out each of Gridziuska’s convictions for road, theft and drugs offences he committed in Ireland since arriving from Lithuania.

They include heroin possession and driving a vehicle with no tax, NCT and illegal insurance one hour before he killed 23-yar-old Shane O’Farrell in a hit-and-run near his home in Carrickmacross on August 2, 2011.

Zigimantas Gridziuska was convicted of 30 offences in the months before Shane O’Farrell’s death and was on bail for six of them. He should’ve been in prison at the time he knocked down and killed Shane.

After listing Gridziuska’s convictions in detail, Jim O’Callaghan said he has already ordered a review of bail laws and the amendment of one road traffic law which could prevent the same fate befalling another road user and family.

Deputy O’Callaghan also announced the Department of Justice would fund a scholarship programme in Shane’s name for one “distinguished” student undertaking a master’s law degree at Shane’s old university, UCD every year “in perpetuity”.

An apology on behalf of the state followed. He told Shane O’Farrell’s mother and father, Lucia and Jim O’Farrell, and his sisters Gemma, Pia, Amy and Hannah who were seated in the public gallery of Dáil Éireann: “It is incumbent on me as Minister for Justice to apologise to Shane O’Farrell and the O’Farrell family for the fact the criminal justice system did not protect him as it should have.

“I do so apologise”.

Public Inquiry

In the 14 years since Shane’s death the O’Farrell family have been campaigning for a public inquiry.

However, the Minister also used his speech to set out his reasons why he did not think a public inquiry was necessary.

“The purpose of an inquiry is not to administer justice but to reveal and report on facts that are of public importance,” the Justice Minister told Shane’s parents and four sisters.

“Many of the facts of Shane’s death are known, mainly through the indefectible work of his loving mother, Lucia,” Jim O’Callaghan, who had met Shane O’Farrell’s family several times to discuss his case, said.

“It is part of the heavy burden of Justice Minister that I must confront the failings in our criminal justice system. I do not need to wait for five years for an inquiry report to tell me about them. I know them already,” he said.

On June 14, 2018 and again on July 10, 2024, the Dáil voted for a public inquiry. The Seanad also voted for one on February 13, 2019.

In the Dáil debate in 2018, Jim O’Callaghan proposed a motion calling for a commission of investigation and inquiry.

He said at the time: “there are circumstances in respect of the death of Shane O'Farrell which, in my opinion and in the opinion of Fianna Fáil, mean the Government should establish an inquiry into the circumstances preceding and after his death”.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the state apology is a “vindication of the O’Farrell family’s unwavering stand for Shane.”

Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said: “No longer can the O’Farrell family’s assertions of state failures be described or dismissed as allegations.

“It is an indisputable fact that Shane O’Farrell was failed by this state resulting in his death”.