Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Cork Murder Investigation.

Mr. Spring:

The matter I am raising on the Adjournment this evening is one with which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is familiar — he raised it himself on many occasions when he was Opposition spokesperson. This is a matter of fundamental importance to the public interest in relation to the administration of justice and the protection of human life.

In March 1985, the body of John Corcoran of Riverview Estate, Ballyvolane, County Cork, was found dumped outside Cork city, the murder apparently having taken place in County Kerry. It has been widely reported in recent times that he was murdered by the IRA on the instructions of the chief of staff and that the Garda Síochána were aware, from information received over some days previously, that Mr. Corcoran was going to be murdered. A statement issued by the Department of Justice on 8 December 1997 stated that the Minister for Justice had sought a full report on all aspects of this matter a short time after he took up office in the middle of 1997. What I would like to know this evening is whether the Minister has that report and if he is going to make it public.

A number of very serious questions have been raised in the reporting of this matter in the public domain in recent months. It seems that some concerned members of the Garda Síochána were to the fore in supplying the media with information in relation to the circumstances surrounding this murder. I have questions I would like the Minister to address. Did the Garda have prior knowledge of the IRA's plan to murder John Corcoran? If so, why was no action taken to prevent the murder and to arrest those who were torturing him? Why have the Garda not interviewed Mr. Sean O'Callaghan who has publicly confessed to carrying out this murder on IRA instructions and why has he not been brought in for questioning by the Garda since he made his public confession? Can the Minister explain to the House the statement from the Garda in December 1996 to the effect that the Corcoran case had been fully investigated and that a file was on its way to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the contradiction of that statement from the Garda press office about one week later to the effect that the investigation had not been completed? I would remind the Minister — I am probably reminding him of a concern which he shares — of the concern of the Corcoran family to get full and vital information in relation to this dreadful murder. Every effort should be made not only to establish the facts and to bring those involved in this murder before the courts but to establish the truth and the sequence of events which led to the callous murder of John Corcoran. I appeal to the Minister to be forthcoming and to put all the information on the record.

Mr. O'Donoghue:

When in Opposition I promised that, if nominated as Minister for Justice by the incoming Taoiseach, I would order an inquiry into this matter. I have done that. I thank Deputy Spring for raising the matter and, being mindful of the twin perils of ensuring that I do not interfere with the independence of the Director of Public Prosecutions or with the course of an individual Garda investigation, I propose, nevertheless, to depart from precedent and to outline some evidence in this difficult and complex case because I regard it as exceptional.

The facts are that a person was murdered in March 1985 and all the indications point to a Provisional IRA assassination. A major investigation was carried out by the Garda Síochána into the murder but, as it turned out, sufficient evidence was not available to prefer charges against any persons at that time.

In November 1998 three and a half years after the murder, a person surrendered to the police in England and made certain statements about his involvement in murder and other serious offences committed in Northern Ireland and in the State. This included the murder of the person concerned in Cork in 1985. As a result of those statements a Garda investigation file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to prosecuting the person involved in Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act, 1976. However, this aspect was subsequently overtaken by events when the person was convicted on a charge of murder in Northern Ireland and received two life sentences there.

The Garda investigation into the murder in 1985 is continuing. I am satisfied from a report I recently received from the Garda that they are pursuing the investigations as far as they can.

Mr. Spring:

Does the Minister believe that?

Mr. O'Donoghue:

However, this investigation is hampered by the continued absence of the person released from prison in Northern Ireland in 1996 from the jurisdiction.

Mr. Spring:

I will bring him to the Minister.

Mr. O'Donoghue:

I can fully understand the distress which has been caused to the family of the victim in this case. They have endured an ordeal of ignorance about the circumstances surrounding the summary execution of a husband and father. The continuing drip feeding of information and speculation has not helped. I assure the Deputy that I intend to ensure this uncertainty is brought to an end as quickly as possible. I will keep in close contact with the Garda about the progress they are making in bringing their investigations to a conclusion.

Mr. Spring:

That reply is an absolute disgrace.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.15 p.m until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 29 January 1998.