Report on siege may be released this week

The Garda report on the Abbeylara siege and the death of John Carthy in April could be released to an all-party Oireachtas committee…

The Garda report on the Abbeylara siege and the death of John Carthy in April could be released to an all-party Oireachtas committee for consideration early this week.

The committee will decide if the report is to be formally published.

The chairman of the Committee for Justice, Equality and Women's Right's, Fianna Fail TD Mr Sean Ardagh, yesterday said the 15 committee members would explore whether public hearings or publication of the document would be useful.

"Anything we do is aimed at preventing that type of tragedy from happening again," he said, adding that a lot of questions were raised at last week's inquest into the death of the 27-year-old, including procedures adopted by gardai and the type of force used.

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Last week's inquest verdict stated that Mr Carthy died after being shot by gardai in Toneymore, Abbeylara, on April 20th.

Four shots discharged by two members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit hit Mr Carthy from behind.

"We acknowledge the great public interest in it and we would like to see it published but consideration must be given to achieving natural justice for all concerned," said Mr Ardagh.

He said any hearings would have to be held on the basis of voluntary co-operation and "if all quarters were not in agreement there would not be much point in pursuing it".

The motion to present the report to the committee could be placed on the Dail order paper tomorrow and passage is expected by midweek, which would allow the committee to meet and discuss the report by Thursday.

The report contains an FBI appraisal of how the siege was handled by the Garda, witness statements taken by a team of detectives headed by Chief Supt Adrian Culligan which investigated the incident, and the team's conclusions.

The DPP has decided no criminal charges will be brought.

It has been reported that the FBI appraisal of the handling of the 25-hour siege was critical of the gardai for not firing shots sooner.

Twenty-nine witnesses read their statements at the inquest, including five members of the ERU, senior gardai in command at the scene, local gardai, and members of the Carthy family.

Senior Garda sources have indicated there were "other factors" involved in the decisions taken at the scene in Abbeylara that have not yet been publicised, and the force has no difficulties with a public inquiry being held.

The Carthy family has demanded a full, sworn public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death.

In August, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said he would forward the Garda report to the Oireachtas committee after the necessary Dail motion was passed.

He has requested the committee provide the Carthy family with a copy of the report before publication.