The mother of Shane O’Farrell, the 23-year-old who died after being knocked off his bicycle in Co Monaghan in 2011 by a man with multiple convictions, says she is “hopeful” a public inquiry into her son’s death will be established.
Lucia O’Farrell, her husband Jim and their four daughters met Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan for an hour and 20 minutes on Friday.
Ms O’Farrell said the Minister “listened to our concerns and said he hasn’t made any decision yet about what he wants to do”.
Zigimantas Gridziuska, who was driving the car that hit Mr O’Farrell, was out on bail at the time of the fatal incident. He had 42 previous convictions, including road-traffic offences, theft and heroin possession.
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A ruling from Monaghan Circuit Court in January 2011 meant the Lithuanian national should have been in jail at the time of Mr O’Farrell’s death. However, he remained on bail despite being arrested on both sides of the Border for various crimes.
In 2013, Gridziuska pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of failing to stop his car at the scene of the incident on August 2nd, 2011. He received a suspended sentence of eight months on condition he leave Ireland and return to Lithuania.
When in opposition in 2018, Mr O’Callaghan introduced a private member’s motion calling for a fully public inquiry into Mr O’Farrell’s death. It was passed by both the Dáil and the Seanad.
A scoping inquiry in 2023 recommended against holding a public inquiry. On Thursday, Mr O’Callaghan said he cannot ignore that decision. Speaking in the Dáil, the Minister said he would instead consider asking the Oireachtas justice committee, when it is established, to examine the scoping inquiry’s recommendations.
Ms O’Farrell said there is “no point putting us through another process” like that. She said the scoping inquiry did not answer why Gridziuska was out on bail when he killed her son.
“We need a transparent public inquiry to look at all of the facts, to see why he was at liberty,” she said.
“We want to know the sequence of events that took place, how this man was at liberty, and how the law didn’t work when it should have worked.”
Ms O’Farrell said, if a public inquiry was not established, her family would not give up.
“This is not going away. Shane should be alive – they recognise that. We need to know why and we’re entitled to know why,” she said.
“It needs to be investigated properly and transparently and comprehensively, so it doesn’t happen again.”
A spokesperson for the Minister said Mr O’Callaghan “had a very engaging meeting with the O’Farrell family.
“He listened to their views and will now take time to consider the matter further.”
