Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil yesterday
Yesterday.
During Leader’s Questions in the Dáil Clare Daly challenged Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the McGinn review of the Serious Crime Team’s report into the investigation of the death of Fr Niall Molloy in Roscommon in 1985.
The report acknowledges problems with many aspects of the case but asserts that the priests’ death warrants no further investigation.
Deputy Clare Daly:, “[last week] Deputy [Mick] Wallace tried to jolt the Taoiseach’s memory regarding his inaction on problems with senior gardaí in the Athlone area. Little did we know that at the very same time representatives of the Department of Justice and Equality were in the process of contacting the family of Fr. Niall Molloy, thereby giving them less than one hour’s notice that the Minister for Justice and Equality was about to publish the outcome of the McGinn report into their uncle’s murder.
For four months she sat on a report that, let us remember, was a paper review of a Garda review of a Garda investigation. The Minister later acknowledged that the report identified unanswered questions and serious shortcomings in the investigation but concluded that it was too long ago and we will never find out the truth.Of course, she did not admit that the report’s terms of reference were preordained to have that outcome.
Mr. McGinn himself indicated that his task was not to establish the truth, or even venture an opinion about the truth; it was simply to identify issues of public importance or concern that might warrant further investigation. In other words, the truth is out there somewhere but we are not going to bother getting to it.”
In fairness to Mr. McGinn, he raised a number of issues, such as the fact that the Garda failed to identify and interview witnesses and neighbours; the fact that a statement was not taken from the solicitor whom Niall Molloy consulted shortly before his death in regard to his financial problems with the Flynns; the lack of forensic analysis of blood and fingerprint samples taken at the scene of the crime; and, critically, the important fact that the opinion of Professor Michael Farrell, the expert neuropathologist to whom John Harbison deferred, was not sought.
Dr. Farrell’s opinion confirmed that Niall Molloy took between three and six hours to die. In other words, as Mr. McGinn indicated, the account given by Richard and Therese Flynn was not accurate. Mr. McGinn went on to note that the review did not say how it happened. Such information could only be ascertained by an independent commission of investigation, as recommended by the serious crime review.”
Enda Kenny: “The Minister has confirmed that she will shortly commence writing to the members of the families concerned in regard to the report of the legal team once it has assessed all of these cases. Fr. Molloy is deceased and nothing we say in this House will bring him back. The Government considered and accepted the McGinn report in the last several weeks, after it was presented to the Minister. She has confirmed that she will commence the process of informing the families about the cases referred to her Department and my Department, in respect of which a legal team was appointed to analyse the issues arising. Many of them have been considered at various levels over the years. I do not know the details of the responses that will issue in respect of these cases because I have not seen the report of the legal team.”
Daly: “The information to which I have access is contained in the Official Report of the Dáil. I presume that if the Minister for Justice and Equality was in contact with the Taoiseach, she would have told him what she has stated on the public record, namely, that because of the passage of time and other issues she expects no action to be taken in a majority of cases. It is not good enough for the Taoiseach to say Fr. Molloy is dead. His family know that but they have been devastated by the outcome of this report. They cannot figure out how the Government can correctly pardon somebody who was hanged in 1941 based on a re-examination of that case while expecting us to believe it cannot re-examine Fr. Niall Molloy’s case, which occurred in 1985, even though eight out of 11 witnesses present in the room are still alive and forensic evidence which was never examined is presumably still available.”
Previously: Fr Molloy Report: A Conclusion
Transcript via Oireachtas.ie
Spineless politician still spineless. More as we get it.
Brian Lenihan Senior.
Disgusting comment from a Prime Minister. He has had no problems raising the murder of Jean McConville in the Dail.
Or hugging victims of sexual abuse on the steps of the Dail for political point scoring. His brain must be a maelstrom of conflicting impulses. Wish he would just fupp off.
You know what Bill, your right, we can at least rule out sin feins involvement in any of these events, because if they were we would never hear the end of it …
No but the point that Bill makes is that Kenny is quite happy to use the murder of Jean McConville to score political points. It’s more than probable that some members of the House know about that case, and yes, they *should* be questioned about this and so forth. Nobody’s (well, I amn’t anyway) excusing any sitting TDs for their alleged involvement in that murder.
If Enda Kenny said that no effort should be spared in finding her killer, I’d agree 100%
However, we’ve another murder, where the police force of the state, made a whole heap of blunders. We’ve a case where the prime suspect had his case collapse. We’ve a situation where certain witnesses weren’t questioned too much because of who they were (hint – some may have been members of The House) .
So when Enda doesn’t seem to be too bothered about expending efforts in finding out what the hell went on there, when there’s an infinitely HIGHER chance of finding out the truth, you really have to question what it is that motivates him? Genuine feeling, or just what’ll sit well with the core voter for the party.
Claire Daly for Taoiseach! She’s by far the best politician in the Dail.
I agree – it’s not saying much – but she’s by far the most capable of them at the moment.
This.
Fine Gael is the most repugnant, most anti-citizen, most anti-democratic government this state has ever seen. They are obsessed with the business class, enabling them to use a recession to enrich themselves while very deliberately forcing a very large percentage of the population into near poverty.
+ 1
And what are you doing it change it?
100% correct.
Daly has withstood all the sneering jibes, the politically motivated drink driving arrest and all other low digs from the centre-right. She is capable, calm, well informed and sincere. More power to her.
What Kenny is really saying is, that nothing will be done now, to bring
the killer of Fr Niall Molly to justice and that it has taken nearly 30 yrs to
say it….there needs to be a national petition to demand action, what
country would allow a botched investigation to take place, and have
a cover up, to protect who…..?….let the heavens fall, let justice be done,
A petition was presented and ignored. What can be done next?
Murdered?
Ara, shura we can’t bring ya back like.. don’t mind justice and answers for the family
Can’t stand Kenny.
“She has confirmed that she will commence the process of informing the families about the cases referred to her Department and my Department, in respect of which a legal team was appointed to analyse the issues arising.”
He really talks in riddles.
And look how well the ‘process of informing’ the families was managed-
“Little did we know that at the very same time representatives of the Department of Justice and Equality were in the process of contacting the family of Fr. Niall Molloy, thereby giving them less than one hour’s notice that the Minister for Justice and Equality was about to publish the outcome of the McGinn report into their uncle’s murder.”
Does this now mean that when Enda uses Jean McConville against the Shinners, that they can say ‘sure nothing we do can bring her back’…
Either you’re serious about truth or you’re not. Onlyl being serious about the truth when it hurts your (serious) opponents just isn’t good enough.
Kenny gets very animated when Irish citizens are murdered outside the country.
Particularly if he can score political points against Sinn Fein. He would not even meet with members of the Molloy family
“He would not even meet with members of the Molloy family”
This is why he’s such a despicable, self serving gobshite. ( He’s not just a fupping eegit.)
He couldn’t give a fiddlers.. unless he can score some political point.
I have just noticed that The Today Tonight special on Fr Niall Molloy is on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atyrR3jxEtA&feature=youtu.be
Still waiting for an explanation from Enda Kenny