Report into fatal shooting to be published shortly

THE MINISTER for Justice and Equality has been presented with the final report of the MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation into the fatal shooting of Ronan MacLochlainn by Gardai during an attempted robbery in 1998.

Minister Charlie Flanagan received the report on Thursday and is consulting with the Attorney General with a view to arranging for the publication of the report as soon as possible as in accordance with the provisions of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004.

The Commission was established in 2014 under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 to investigate and report on certain matters relative to the shooting dead of 28-year-old Mr MacLochlainn by members of An Garda Síochána in the course of an attempted robbery of a Securicor van in Ashford in May 1998. The investigation arose from a case taken by his partner to the European Court of Human Rights. Mr MacLochlainn was part of a gang attempting an armed robbery of a cash-in transit van when they were confronted by Gardai.

Minister Flanagan has also expressed his appreciation of the committee headed by Mary Rose Gearty for the professional manner in which the Commission carried out this challenging work.