I wish everybody a belated happy new year. I know that I am a month behind, but it is my first time back.

I received a telephone call yesterday from the mother of a lovely young lad called Shane O'Farrell who was killed in a tragic road traffic accident in County Monaghan on 2 August 2011. He was 23 years of age and had completed a law degree in UCD and a master's degree in law in Trinity College Dublin. He was just about to start work at the European Parliament. He was killed in a hit and run accident by a foreign national in breach of bail conditions, who had 42 convictions and was known in three jurisdictions at the time. Shane's family believes his death was preventable. To date, 59 complaints have been submitted to the GSOC inquiry into his case and the O'Farrell family has received no response. The case has been with GSOC for four and a half years, yet there has been no result. That is completely unacceptable. It is unjust that the family must go without answers. The difficulty the family have experienced through losing an only son is horrendous. It is disrespectful to leave them with no response on Shane's case. The delay is causing ongoing trauma for them. The man in question is known to Interpol. His convictions include convictions for road traffic offences, drug offences and theft, to name but a few. At the time he killed Shane, he was on bail from the Circuit Court in Monaghan, Dundalk and Cavan, as well as the court in Newry. He continually reoffended and breached his bail conditions. From reading the files on the case, there appear to be irregularities in the interactions between gardaí and the accused. The O'Farrell family believes there were multiple failures on the part of An Garda Síochána before and after Shane's death and question decisions made by the Director of Public Prosecutions. They believe a statutory investigation is the only way their questions will be answered. Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to hold a statutory investigation into Shane's case?