merrion street

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, this morning met with Mary Coll and her daughter Jacqueline.  At the meeting, which lasted over an hour, he took the opportunity to express his sincere condolences to them on the tragic loss of Clodagh, Liam, Niall and Ryan. 

 Speaking after the meeting, Minister Flanagan said:

The meeting was very moving and also very constructive.  Mary and Jacqueline outlined their concerns and the horrific ordeal they have endured through the loss of their beloved family members. They showed immense dignity and courage in speaking to me about their concerns.

The Minister added:

One of the main requests of Mary and Jacqueline was that they would meet the Garda Commissioner.  I was happy to be able to tell them that I have arranged for that to happen at an early date.  The family also presented me with an initial submission for consideration on a range of  legislative and other measures to prevent and address matters concerning the unlawful deaths of family members.   I am putting arrangements in place at an early date for a study to be conducted on such cases.  It will be carried out to establish if there is a need for special protocols, legislative or other changes for cases like this. The person conducting this research will meet with the family and other similarly affected families, as well as State agencies, to see what is possible and what would help on a systemic basis. The person appointed will be entirely free to recommend any course of action which she or he considers appropriate.

The terms of reference for the study and the person appointed to conduct it will be finalised in the near future. A further submission will also be considered when received.