Latest news with #Carlow
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Commissioner ‘met obligations' after TD criticises Carlow shooting response
The Garda Commissioner 'met his obligations' around whether he was required to inform the Justice Minister about an undercover operation, a spokesman said, after an opposition TD raised questions about a man who died while on bail as a result of the probe. Labour TD Alan Kelly told the Dáil on Thursday that he had informed Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan about details around the death of a man 'charged after an undercover Garda operation'. Advertisement Evan Fitzgerald, 22, from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, died by suicide with a gun after discharging it at a shopping centre in Co Carlow earlier this month. He had been awaiting trial on weapons charges from the previous year, which Mr Kelly said related to an undercover Garda operation. Evan Fitzgerald. Photo: Family handout/An Garda Siochana. Commissioner Drew Harris is required by law to inform Mr O'Callaghan about 'significant developments' on a range of topics, including the protection of life and matters that may affect public confidence in An Garda Siochana. While not specifically confirming if the Commissioner had informed the minister about the matter, a spokesman said on Thursday that the Commissioner 'met his reporting obligations' on the matter. Advertisement Mr Kelly told the Dáil that Mr Harris had not briefed Mr O'Callaghan about the death of Mr Fitzgerald while on bail after being charged as a result of an undercover Garda operation. He said: 'On June 1, Evan Fitzgerald tragically and very publicly took his own life after getting bail on being charged after an undercover Garda operation. 'Why did the Garda Commissioner not brief the Minister for Justice on the details of this case and the facts that there was an undercover operation and that the guns were supplied by An Garda Siochana?' Mr Kelly said he had to ring Mr O'Callaghan about the circumstances of Mr Fitzgerald's arrest. Advertisement Alan Kelly TD. Photo: Niall Carson/PA. 'Is it appropriate and right that I, as a member of the opposition, had to ring the Minister for Justice about this and inform him about it? 'Is it correct that I had to tell him to go to the Garda Commissioner to ask him about the full details of this case?' He questioned whether the full details would have been known if he had not informed the Justice Minister about the matter. Mr Kelly said the Commissioner had a duty to inform the minister about 'any major issues' under section 41 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005. Advertisement Responding to the comments, Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was 'a complex case' and he was not privy to when the Garda Commissioner does or does not use the provision in the Act. 'That is a matter between the Commissioner and the minister, but I understand the Minister for Justice has sought further information from the Garda Commissioner on the case.' Mr Harris also said he supported comments made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the need for a review of bail laws. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. Mr O'Callaghan previously said he had spoken to the Commissioner about various issues raised about how gardai operate, including the Carlow shooting incident. Advertisement On Tuesday, he said: 'I'm not the person who's there to supervise operationally what An Garda Siochana are doing. 'I ask the Commissioner questions that are of concern to me, he gives me answers in respect to them, that communication is confidential. 'I have no difficulty in telling you the issues I raised with him, obviously what he says back to me is a confidential process.' On Thursday, a spokesman for the Commissioner said An Garda Siochana does not comment on third party remarks. However, the spokesman noted that the legislation in question had actually been replaced by the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 at the time of Mr Fitzgerald's death. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Photo: Garrett White/PA. That Act states that the Commissioner 'shall keep the Minister and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice fully informed' of matters relating to significant developments concerning preservation of peace and public order; the protection of life, property and security; significant developments that might adversely affect public confidence or performance of An Garda Siochana; matters relevant to accountability of the Government to the Oireachtas; and any other matters that the Commissioner believes should be brought to the Minister's attention'. The spokesman said: 'On this particular matter, the Commissioner has met his reporting obligations to the Minister under 36.1 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety 2024. 'An Garda Siochana does not comment on the detail of meetings between the Commissioner and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.' The spokesman noted that two other individuals remain before the courts in relation to the offences Mr Fitzgerald was charged with. He added: 'In general, and without commenting on any specific case, An Garda Siochana uses a range of internationally recognised investigative techniques when tackling serious crimes such as drug dealing and procuring of firearms, either of which could then be used to cause significant harm to the public. Ireland 'Shocking' level of misinformation around Carlow s... Read More 'One of these is controlled deliveries. In controlled deliveries if any material is used it is safe or made safe by the law enforcement agency before being used, i.e. firearms are deactivated.' The spokesman said: 'Following allegations being published by a national newspaper in May, the Garda Commissioner referred these allegations to Fiosru for independent examination in line with the 'incidents of concern' provision in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, and relevant material was provided. 'As stated by the Commissioner, Fiosru has informed An Garda Siochana that it would not be taking any further action on the matter.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
TD first to tell Justice Minister gardaí supplied guns to man who shot himself in shopping centre
Labour TD Alan Kelly has told the Dáil it was he who first informed the Minister for Justice it was undercover gardaí who supplied guns to Evan Fitzgerald , the young man who took his own life at a Carlow shopping centre. He questioned why the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris did not inform and brief Jim O'Callaghan 'of the details of this case and details of the fact that it was undercover and the guns were supplied by An Garda Síochána'. Tánaiste Simon Harris told him said this was a matter between the Garda Commissioner and the Minister and that he supported a call last week by the Taoiseach for a review into the case. Mr Kelly said that under section 31 of the 2005 An Garda Síochána Act the Commissioner is obliged to inform the Minister 'about any major issues'. READ MORE 'Is it appropriate, is it right that I as a member of the Opposition had to actually ring the Minister for Justice in relation to this and inform him', that undercover gardaí supplied the gun, he said. The Tipperary TD has previously raised the case of the 22-year-old in the Dáil. Mr Fitzgerald had fired shots in the air in a Carlow town shopping centre before taking his own life on June 1st and Mr Kelly phoned the Minister with the information two days later. The Kiltegan, Co Wicklow man was on bail and due in court days later to face 13 charges relating to possession of guns, ammunition and explosive materials. Mr Kelly, who said he rang the Minister on June 3rd to tell him about the involvement of undercover gardaí, asked: 'Is it correct that I had to tell him to go to the Garda Commissioner and ask him about the full details in relation to this case?' Mr Kelly raised the issue in the Dáil last week and asked about reports of the court case which suggested that the gardaí had told the judge in the case that they were 'investigating' how Mr Fitzgerald and others acquired the guns. 'The guns were actually given to him by An Garda Síochána ... How could they say in court that they didn't know where the guns came from?' Mr Kelly said. Independent Senator Michael McDowell had also raised the case in the Seanad last week. He said he was 'very deeply concerned that, by informing the court that the gardaí were still investigating by whom the weapons in question were sold, the court was actively misled'. Mr Harris expressed sympathy to Mr Fitzgerald's family. 'He's a county man of mine and I know it's been a great shock in the local community in Co Wicklow. 'I understand this is a complex case and I'm obviously not privy, nor should I be to when the Garda Commissioner does or doesn't use that provision in the Act. 'That's a matter between himself and the Minister, but I do understand that the Minister for Justice has sought further information from the Garda Commissioner on the case.' The Tánaiste noted comments last week by the Taoiseach and the need for a review 'and I would support the Taoiseach in relation to his comments on that'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Friend ‘tried to help him to safety': Boy (17) who drowned in river Barrow named locally
A teenage boy who died after getting in difficulty swimming in the river Barrow on Tuesday evening has been named locally. Peter Byrne, from Dolmen Gardens, Carlow town was found by garda divers around 11pm in the river Barrow. The 17-year-old is understood to have been swimming with a friend when he got into difficulty around 6.30pm in the river in the Milford area of the county. The teenager had been at a local gym with a couple of friends when he and another friend decided to go swimming at Cloghristick, Milford. READ MORE However, it's understood he got into difficulty at the swimming spot due to strong river currents. His friend saw what was happening and desperately tried to help him. However, he too was being drawn into the river currents but managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm. Gardaí and emergency services from Carlow town were quickly on the scene. The teenager was a transition year student in the local CBS secondary school in Carlow town. Emergency services along with gardaí remained at the scene for several hours as a search got under way to locate the teenager. The scene remains cordoned off by gardaí. In a statement gardaí said that following a search operation involving emergency services, the Garda Water Unit recovered the body of a male, aged in his late teens, from the river Barrow at Milford, yesterday evening. The teenager's remains have been transferred to University Hospital Waterford (UHW) where a postmortem examination will take place in due course. A file will be prepared for the Coroner. A local man who knows the Byrne family said: 'It's an awful shock to hear such news. The family are well-known in the area. Both of Peter's friends, the boy who tried to help him to safety in the water and their friend who was at the gym with them, are both in a terrible state.'
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Teen (17) who died after getting into difficulty swimming in Carlow river named locally
A teenage boy who died after getting in difficulty swimming in the river Barrow on Tuesday evening has been named locally. Peter Byrne, from Dolmen Gardens, Carlow town, was found by garda divers around 11pm in the River Barrow. Advertisement The 17-year-old is understood to have been swimming with a friend when he got into difficulty around 6:30pm in the river in the Milford area of the county - eight kilometres from Carlow town. The teenager had been with a couple of friends at a local gym and it is believed that he and another friend then decided to go swimming at Cloghristick, Milford, Co Carlow. The student's friend saw him get into difficulty in the water and tried to help him. However, as he tried to help, he was being sucked downwards due to strong river currents. Eventually he managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm. Gardaí and emergency services from Carlow town were quickly on the scene. Advertisement The teenager was a Transition Year student in the local CBS secondary school in Carlow town. Emergency services along with gardaí remained at the scene for several hours as a search got underway to locate the teenager. The scene remains cordoned off by gardaí. In a statement, gardaí said that following a search operation involving emergency services, the Garda Water Unit recovered the body of a male, aged in his late teens, from the River Barrow at Milford, Co yesterday evening. The teenager's remains have been transferred to University Hospital Waterford (UHW) where a postmortem examination will take place in due course. A file will be prepared for the Coroner. Advertisement A local man who knows the Byrne family said: 'It's an awful shock to hear such news. The family are well-known in the area. Both of Peter's friends the boy who tried to help him to safety in the water and their friend who was at the gym with them are both in a terrible state.' 11 years ago, a 19-year-old man died in the same spot. Jonathan (Jonny) Byrne, Tomard, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, lost his life on February 1st, 2014, at Milford Bridge. A subsequent inquest heard the victim could not swim and had a fear of water.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Body of a teenage boy (17) has been recovered from the river Barrow
The body of a teenage boy has been recovered from the river Barrow after he got into difficulty swimming on Tuesday evening. The body of the teenager was found by garda divers around 11pm following a search by garda divers. Advertisement The 17-year-old is understood to have been swimming with a friend when he got into difficulty around 6:30pm in the river in the Milford area of the county. The teenager was with his friend at a local gym and it is believed that they then decided to go swimming. The student's friend saw him get into difficulty in the water and tried to help him. However, as he attempted to help, he too was being sucked downwards due to strong river currents. Eventually he managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm. Gardaí and emergency services from Carlow town were quickly on the scene The teenager was a Transition Year student in a local secondary school in Carlow town. Advertisement Emergency services along with gardai remained at the scene for several hours as a search got underway to locate the teenager. The scene remains cordoned off by gardaí. In a statement gardaí said that they along with emergency services were alerted shortly after 6:30pm (Tuesday) after a 17-year-old male 'encountered difficulties' while swimming in the River Barrow at Cloghristick, Milford, Co Carlow. A search operation involving local emergency services and the Garda Water Unit was carried out. At the same location 11 years ago, a 19-year-old man died after he took part in a Neknominate social media challenge, before stripping down to his shorts and jumping into the swollen River Barrow and drowning. Jonathan (Jonny) Byrne, Tomard, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, lost his life on February 1st, 2014 at Milford Bridge. A subsequent inquest heard the victim could not swim and had a fear of water.
