Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
617. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the report completed by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission regarding the death of a person (details supplied) has not been published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34942/20]
View answer618. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to an apology issued to the family of a person (details supplied) by An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34943/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 together.
I would first like to express my most sincere sympathies to the family concerned in this tragic case. I understand that a formal written apology issued from An Garda Síochána to the family in July 2020.
The case to which the Deputy refers was amongst the complaints considered by independent counsel under the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). The Deputy will aware that the IRM was established to consider complaints made against An Garda Síochána and to recommend what action, if any, should be taken in relation to each complaint.
In accordance with the recommendation of counsel for the IRM, this particular case was referred to GSOC by the then Minister for Justice for investigation under section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. A report outlining the findings of this investigation was received by my Department in February 2018. I understand that a copy of the report was also sent to the family concerned.
I am informed, however, that there is ongoing correspondence in relation to the matters raised in the report and that it is GSOC's intention to address the question of publication of an anonymised version of the report once these matters are clarified.
