Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has agreed to meet a man who has been on hunger strike outside the Dáil for almost 60 days in protest at what he says is the failure of the justice system to adequately punish a gang who attacked his daughter.
A letter was sent from Mr McDowell's office on Friday agreeing to the man's request for a meeting but urging him to end his fast in the meantime before he does serious damage to his health.
Peter Preston from Dublin has been on hunger strike in protest at what he says is the failure of the justice system to punish a man who attacked his daughter and slashed her face with a broken glass.
Mr Preston's daughter, Danielle, was attacked in a pub for no reason when she was just 19. She was having a drink with her boyfriend when a man broke a glass and slashed her face which required 25 stitches.
When the man and his accomplices were subsequently arrested and brought to court, they were given suspended sentences.
"Peter, who is a constituent of mine, was extremely upset at this and came to me with his concerns," said the Independent TD for Dublin North Central, Finian McGrath, who raised the issue in the Dáil with Mr McDowell.
However, the Minister had no power to intervene in the case, given the separation of powers between the executive and the courts.
Mr McGrath said yesterday that Mr Preston had become so frustrated with the way the case was handled that he had decided to embark on his hunger strike outside Leinster House.
"He feels a great deal of hurt and anger about the way he had been dealt with and could see no other way of highlighting the issue," said Mr McGrath.
The family and friends of Mr Preston, who have been supporting him during his protest, are now very worried about the state of his health.
He has been living in a tent outside the gates of Leinster House but has become very weak in recent days.
