State Apology to the Family of the Late Brian Stack: Statements

Today, I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver Stack, the wife and sons of the late chief prison officer, Brian Stack. They have campaigned tirelessly to uncover the truth of what happened to Brian in March 1983 and to keep his memory and legacy alive, following his death in September 1984. Unforgivably, we still do not have the full truth of, or any justice for, what happened that day. With the facts we have, we know it was a very dark day in our country’s history. On the night of 25 March 1983, Brian Stack attended a boxing tournament at the National Stadium in Dublin. He was a very senior prison officer, who was serving the State with great distinction, and the father of a young family. He was leading a full and meaningful life, a man in his prime of life. On leaving the venue, Brian was approached by a man wearing a balaclava. He was approached from behind. He was shot in the neck. Brian survived the shooting but was left paralysed and brain damaged and, after fighting on bravely for 18 months, he succumbed to his injuries on 29 September 1984. He was just 49 years old. His killer escaped with an accomplice on a motorbike and, to date, no one has been brought to justice for Brian’s murder. We know now, because of the work of his family, that Brian was targeted and shot by members of the Provisional IRA, an organisation still in possession of all the facts of what happened. It is important to put these facts on the record because I know from Brian’s family that they do not want any confusion in the public mind about who was responsible for his killing. Those who shot him, transported the killer and covered for them in the intervening decades are responsible. What happened next is why Brian’s family is with us this afternoon and why I am here to offer them an apology on behalf of the Government. It is because Brian and his family, a man who was providing a hugely important service for as chief officer at Portlaoise Prison, at a time of great peril for the State, was badly failed by the investigation into his killing. A major Garda investigation was established after the shooting in March 1983 but this failed to identify those responsible. On Brian’s death in September 1984, the case was reviewed by the Garda murder squad but nothing of evidential value was found. After this point, the investigation into Brian’s killing remained open but dormant. In 2007, at the request of the Stack family, the Garda Commissioner directed a review of the case by the Garda serious crime review team. This review made 202 recommendations relating to the case, leading to the Garda Commissioner directing that an independent reinvestigation team be appointed in the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 2008. Although this brought a fresh impetus to the investigation and led to the identification of new lines of inquiry and suspects, it also led to the identification of a number of serious failings and shortcomings in the management of the earlier Garda investigation. These failings were admitted by the Garda Commissioner to the Stack family in 2019, and my formal apology on behalf of the Government in this House today relates to those failings. They are: a failure to keep a map made of the crime scene; a failure to keep a motorbike helmet found near the crime scene and linked to the crime; and a failure to keep custody of material exhibits, including various fingerprints, samples and debris gathered during the investigation. In addition to this, there was a failure to document some potentially important aspects of the original investigation, such as: whether an identification line up process was conducted before eyewitnesses in relation to a number of people who were arrested during the original investigation; whether prisoners at Portlaoise Prison were interviewed during the original investigation; and whether Brian’s colleagues at Portlaoise Prison were interviewed during the original investigation. Furthermore, there was a failure to carry out certain steps in the investigation, which the Stack family considers particularly relevant and important to the case and which would now be considered part and parcel of a victim-centred approach to policing. These were to interview the Stack family and Brian’s wider group of friends. Although it is clear that there was a strong suspicion of Provisional IRA involvement on the part of investigators in the original investigation in the 1980s and in the reinvestigation since 2008, there was a failure by gardaí to identify a definitive link to the Provisional IRA in the shooting until this was admitted to Austin and Oliver Stack by a former IRA commander in 2013 through their family efforts to uncover the truth. It was also the Stack family who brought to light the existence of relevant intelligence received by An Garda Síochána in 1990 and brought it to the attention of the reinvestigation team in 2016. It was not recorded on the original investigation file. An Garda Síochána is independent in its functions, and it is not for me as Taoiseach or for any other Member of this House to insert themselves into any criminal investigation. However, it is plainly and utterly unacceptable that material that was potentially of evidential value to the investigation can no longer be located by An Garda Síochána. It is admitted by An Garda Síochána that these are serious matters that had an impact on the investigation. As Taoiseach, and on behalf of the Government, I want to formally apologise to the Stack family for these failings. When viewed in conjunction with the failure by An Garda Síochána to document those other aspects of the investigation that I have already highlighted, this failing raises legitimate concerns about how the investigation was conducted and whether it was done competently and properly. This is an inherently unfair position to place the Stack family in, and today I also apologise for this. I know from talking to the Stack family over many years that the hope for justice endures. Since 2007, the Garda investigation into the murder of Brian has continued to progress and I understand that in 2019 a comprehensive file was submitted to the DPP for a decision. Although the outcome of this was that no charges could be brought against any suspect at that time, I am informed that An Garda Síochána continues to pursue live lines of inquiry in the case and is making every effort to bring those responsible to justice. I know that Garda liaison continues with the Stack family in this regard. Brian Stack joined the Prison Service in 1959 and progressed through its ranks to a senior uniformed role when Portlaoise Prison became the main place of detention in the State for subversive prisoners. Brian Stack served the State with great distinction and honour at a time when the endpoint of the Troubles still appeared to be remote. The challenges the State faced at this time were very significant and prison officers like Brian were in the vanguard of the effort to defend the State against subversives who wished to undermine it during the conflict. Brian’s important service was recognised by the Irish Prison Service when it renamed the Prison Service College Brian Stack House and posthumously awarded him its highest bravery award, which was also renamed the Stack Medal. Outside of work, Brian was at heart of his community and a keen sportsman, referee and organiser at Portlaoise GAA and Portlaoise Boxing Club. Brian’s commitment to public service was carried on by his son Austin, who also served the State as an assistant governor in the Irish Prison Service. Today, as I extend this formal apology to the Stack family for the failings and shortcomings in the management of the Garda investigation into Brian’s death, I am conscious that this moment marks a significant milestone for them. Brian’s loss was immeasurable to them, and their entire family and community circle. The pain they have endured has been lifelong. Many in this House will already be familiar with their campaign and their tireless advocacy. Today, in addition to the apology I have offered, I also want to thank them and pay tribute to them for their dedication to that quest, and to their father Brian. I share their hope that justice may still come. Mar Thaoiseach, agus ar son an Rialtais, deirim go bhfuil brón orainn gur theip ar an Stát fiosrú cuimsitheach ceart a dhéanamh. Dúnmharú uafásach a bhí ann. Bhí dualgas ar an Stát an fiosrú a dhéanamh go cruinn agus i gceart. Is léir nár tharla é seo agus tá brón orainn dá dheasca sin. Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver, it is through your dignity, your courage and your love that Brian Stack will not be forgotten. It is my sincere hope that the words I speak today on behalf of the Government may provide some measure of peace to you. I am deeply sorry for what you have been put through.

On my behalf and on that of the Tánaiste and our colleagues, I join the Taoiseach, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, in delivering this full and unreserved apology to the family of the late Brian Stack. I acknowledge presence of Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver. The State failed you in the investigation of Brian's killing. We know those failures added to your suffering, and for that we are deeply sorry. Today marks an important moment in your decades-long campaign to honour Brian’s memory and his legacy following his shooting in 1983 and his subsequent tragic death in 1984 at just 49 years of age. I know it has been a long and painful journey from the very first shocking and devastating circumstances of his attack through his subsequent suffering and ultimately the great bereavement of his loss, along with all that has followed. I hope today brings a measure of comfort after your devoted advocacy in his name which helped to uncover the failings and shortcomings we are acknowledging here. An apology cannot undo the suffering you have endured or indeed replace the pursuit of truth and accountability. Brian Stack, as we have heard, was chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison during the 1980s and was the sole prison officer in the State to die as a result of a Troubles-related incident. We know now that Brian was targeted and that he was shot by members of the Provisional IRA. To repeat it, they are responsible for his death. While a major Garda investigation was established after his shooting in March 1983, this failed to identify those responsible. To date, this impact has meant the ability of An Garda Síochána to bring those perpetrators to justice has been severely impacted. Following Brian’s death in September 1984, a review found no new evidence and the investigation remained open but dormant. At the urging of the Stack family, the Garda Commissioner ordered a review of the case in 2007. This led to a reinvestigation in 2008 and the identification of serious failings and shortcomings in the earlier investigation. These failings were acknowledged by the Garda Commissioner in his apology to the Stack family in 2019. Today, the Government extends a formal State apology. Despite the strong suspicion of Provisional IRA involvement throughout the Garda investigation, it was Austin and Oliver Stack who uncovered the truth. This was not the only occasion on which the Stack family brought to light matters relevant to the investigation. In 2016 the family brought relevant intelligence - again received by the Garda in 1990 - to the attention of the reinvestigating team. Today we acknowledge failings in this House as we honour the character and contribution of Brian Stack. As the Taoiseach has outlined, the investigation remains active and An Garda Síochána has confirmed it continues to pursue lines of inquiry to bring those responsible to justice. Brian served the State with great distinction as chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison. He served at a time when the Troubles meant people in positions like this were at the coalface, defending the State against subversives who wished to undermine it during the conflict. While his role as chief prison officer was in those dark days of the 1980s, his service in the Prison Service began long before when he joined in 1959. He progressed through the ranks to a senior role when Portlaoise Prison became the main place of detention in the State for subversive prisoners. There have rightly been a number of actions taken by the State in honour of Brian Stack. As the Taoiseach has referenced, in May 2013 the then Minister for justice announced the introduction by the Irish Prison Service of a new merit award scheme for prison staff, including the Stack Medal. The Stack Medal is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a member of the staff of the Irish Prison Service in recognition of an act of exceptional personal bravery. Brian’s wife Sheila accepted the first Stack Medal on her late husband’s behalf in 2013 in recognition of his loyal service to the State. That same year, the main building in the Irish Prison Service College was renamed Brian Stack House, again in Mr. Stack’s honour. As we know, Brian was more than a man who served the State in a senior and highly valued role; he also served his community. He was at the heart of Portlaoise GAA and Portlaoise Boxing Club. He was a keen sportsman, a referee and an organiser. We know he was an inspiration, not least to his son Austin who carried out his legacy through his own commitment to public service and through his role as an assistant governor in the Irish Prison Service. Brian Stack was a man of resolve. He was a man of dignity and a man of courage. Those same qualities have been echoed and demonstrated in abundance by his family throughout more than four decades which were spent seeking truth, answers and above all justice. I pay particular tribute to Brian’s wife Sheila. As his wife and as the mother of their children, Sheila has borne the heartbreak of losing Brian and the pain of all that followed. Her dignity, resilience and quiet courage over so many years deserve our deepest admiration and respect. I also acknowledge the extraordinary determination of Austin, Kieran and Oliver and the courage of the entire Stack family. You should never have had to fight so hard or for so long to have the truth acknowledged and the failings of the State recognised. Your perseverance has ensured that Brian’s memory has never been forgotten and that his service and his sacrifice have received the recognition they deserve. To Sheila and to all of the Stack family, we are deeply sorry for all that you have endured. For the failures of the investigation and the additional suffering that they caused you, we are deeply sorry. I hope that today’s formal apology brings some measure of comfort and peace and that you know your courage and your determination have not gone unnoticed.

On behalf of the Independent Members in government, I acknowledge Sheila Stack and her sons Austin, Oliver and Kieran who are with us today. For over four decades, they have lived with the devastating loss of Brian and the unanswered questions surrounding his death. Today the State formally acknowledges the loss suffered by the Stack family and the failings of the investigations that followed. These are failings that caused immense pain to Brian’s family. Brian Stack was a dedicated public servant who was chief prison officer in Portlaoise Prison at a time when Ireland was experiencing one of its most challenging periods. As has been mentioned, Brian was a man who dedicated himself to the community, having been involved in various sports and leaving an imprint on his local area. His son Austin also served as an assistant governor in the Irish Prison Service, carrying on Brian’s dedication to public service. His death was an immeasurable loss for the family and the Irish Prison Service. Brian Stack was the only prison officer in the State to lose his life during an incident related to the Troubles. The family's suffering was compounded by serious failures in the investigation of this shooting. The omission included the failure to preserve vital evidence, the loss of material exhibits and the failure to record potentially vital information during the original investigation. There was also a failure to interview members of the Stack family or other people who could have been of assistance in the investigation. These were serious shortcomings in an investigation into the murder of a man who had dedicated his working life to serving the State. These failings and their effect on the investigation were acknowledged by the Garda Commissioner in his apology to the family in 2019. It is right that those failings and their impact be formally acknowledged here in the Dáil. For the Stack family, time has not eroded their pain or their desire to know what happened. They have spent over 40 years seeking answers and accountability. No family should ever have to carry this burden for so long. An apology cannot undo what has happened and cannot give the Stack family back the years they should have been with Brian, but it is an important acknowledgement of what went wrong. The family should not have had to spend so many years seeking answers about the murder of their husband and father. We owe it to those who serve the State and their families to ensure they are treated with fairness and respect. The State has previously recognised Brian Stack's service and sacrifice. In 2013 Sheila Stack accepted the first Stack Medal on behalf of her late husband, recognising his loyal service to the State. The naming of Brian Stack House in the Irish Prison Service College is another lasting recognition of his contribution. These honours are important but so too is the formal acknowledgement of the shortcomings in the investigation into his death. The investigation of the murder remains open. I hope the ongoing pursuit of those responsible for the murder will bring the family more answers. The family have waited a long time for the truth. I hope those responsible will ultimately be brought to justice. Today, we are remembering Brian Stack not just as a victim of a terrible crime but also as a loving husband and father and a dedicated public servant. I again acknowledge Sheila, Austin, Oliver and Kieran and their determination over so many years to establish the truth. Brian Stack was an honourable man who devoted his life to the State. His family deserve a thorough investigation into his murder and they deserve answers. I express my sincere sympathy for their loss to Sheila, Austin, Oliver and Kieran and the wider Stack family as we remember Brian today.

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I welcome today's State apology to the family of Brian Stack. I offer my sincere sympathies to his wife Sheila and their sons Austin, Kieran and Oliver. The shooting of Brian Stack was wrong. It should never have happened. His family suffered a terrible loss. The failures in the investigations compounded that suffering and left them seeking answers over many decades. We cannot presume to understand their grief but we can recognise that the passing years do not diminish their loss or their entitlement to truth and justice. In 2013, a former IRA leader acknowledged that IRA volunteers were responsible for the shooting of Brian Stack. He said it should not have happened and expressed sorrow to the family. The Stack family's long search for answers deserves respect. More broadly, Sinn Féin supports a comprehensive, independent truth recovery process to address conflict-related deaths across this island. Such a process can help families to establish what happened and provide meaningful acknowledgement for their loss. The Stack family deserved an effective Garda investigation. They deserved to have information pursued, evidence properly examined and their concerns treated seriously. Today, the State acknowledges that they were failed. That acknowledgment recognises publicly that the family deserved better and that investigative failures added to the burden that they were already carrying. No apology can restore Brian Stack's life or return the years spent seeking answers, but it can recognise the wrong done. Across this island, other families also continue to seek answers. Their circumstances differ, but each deserves dignity, compassion and a fair hearing. Families should be supported in seeking truth and accountability without having to carry the burden of a public campaign for decades. A comprehensive truth recovery and legacy process must be independent and accessible to all families bereaved through conflict-related violence. All those holding relevant information must play their part. Alongside it, there must be a fair and effective framework for examining wider historical investigative failures and miscarriages of justice. As an Irish republican, I believe that building a better future requires us to face the past with honesty. People from all walks of life and every background suffered through the actions of British state forces, republicans - including the IRA - and unionist paramilitaries. The hurt caused by republican actions must be acknowledged and that suffering cannot be disowned. I am sorry for all the lives lost during the period of conflict on this island, without exception. My commitment to a united Ireland is a commitment to a country in which every person's dignity is respected and every family's suffering is heard. We have now enjoyed many years of peace. A generation has grown up free from the daily fear of violence that scarred so many lives. We must protect that achievement, help those still carrying its wounds, and ensure the tragedies of the past are never visited upon another generation. We cannot change the past but we can help people to heal and we can work to ensure that its violence and suffering are never repeated. Today, we acknowledge Brian Stack's life, his family's loss and the investigative failures they endured. I welcome this apology and hope it provides meaningful acknowledgement after so many years.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis labhairt inniu chun tacú leis an leithscéal seo ón Stát agus chun mo chomhbhrón a chur in iúl do theaghlach Stack. I also want to welcome today's State apology to the family of Brian Stack and to repeat that the shooting of Brian Stack was wrong. It was a terrible loss for his family and should never have happened. I again offer my sincere sympathies to his wife Sheila and their three sons, Austin, Kieran and Oliver. I know that the passage of time does not make grief any less and I do not pretend to understand the pain and loss they feel. The Stack family deserve truth and justice, as does every family who has lost a loved one in violent circumstances. The Stack family continues to have unanswered questions and their search for answers deserves not only respect but the full support and assistance of this House. More broadly, we need a comprehensive, independent truth recovery process so that we can ensure that all bereaved families can establish what happened and provide meaningful acknowledgement for their losses. The Stack family deserved an effective Garda investigation. They deserved to have their questions treated seriously and every reasonable effort made to establish the truth. Today's apology acknowledges that investigative failures compounded their suffering. It is right that the State recognises those failures and the hurt they caused. An apology is an important public acknowledgement. It recognises that the family deserved better and that their concerns should have been addressed. I know that no words spoken here today can restore Brian Stack's life or recover the years that his family have spent seeking answers but the acknowledgement today matters. Families should be able to understand the decisions affecting their case and to know who is responsible for taking matters forward. Everyone who can assist bereaved families in establishing the truth, including in this case, has a responsibility to do so. As Sinn Féin justice spokesperson, I believe there are lessons about how our institutions respond to bereaved families and how concerns about investigative failures are examined. That requires proper communication, accountability and a willingness to acknowledge when things are done wrong. We see the enduring importance of these issues in the Omagh bombing inquiry and the inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, both now under way following many years of campaigning by bereaved families. These are distinct inquiries examining different circumstances but what they underline is how deeply the need for answers endures and how much families can be required to carry in pursuing them. Other families and individuals continue their own searches for truth, accountability and acknowledgement. In that context, I also acknowledge the families of Councillor Eddie Fullerton and John Hayes, and also campaigners such as Dominic Óg McGlinchey and Osgur Breatnach. They are very different cases with very different circumstances but each deserves to be considered on its own evidence with dignity and respect for those affected. Some families have spent years campaigning and some have pursued legal action, while others have neither the profile nor the resources to sustain such efforts, but every family should have access to a fair and independent process without having to sustain a decades-long campaign. A comprehensive truth recovery and legacy process must be accessible to all families bereaved through the conflict, regardless of who is responsible for their loss. All those holding relevant information must be willing to play their part. Alongside that process, we need a fair, transparent and independent framework for examining wider historical investigative failures and miscarriages of justice. Families need to know how their concerns can be raised, how they can be examined and what supports will be available to them. Where failures are established, there should be accountability and, where appropriate, an apology. The injustices and tragedies of the past have left a deep legacy of suffering and trauma in our society. During the conflict, people from across this island suffered through the actions of state forces; republicans, again including the IRA; and unionist paramilitaries. As a republican, I want to acknowledge the hurt caused by republican actions. That suffering cannot be disowned. I am sorry for all of the lives lost during the conflict. The past cannot be undone but what we can do together is work to help people to heal and to ensure that the grief, hurt and violence of those years are never repeated. That requires us all to listen to those who have suffered, acknowledge their experiences and uphold their fundamental right to truth and justice. Today, our first responsibility is to acknowledge Brian Stack - his life, the suffering of his family and the failures they endured. I repeat that the shooting of Brian Stack was wrong. His family deserve truth, justice and a proper Garda investigation. I sincerely hope that this apology provides some meaningful acknowledgment to them of the suffering they have endured over so many years.

On behalf of the Social Democrats, at the outset I want to acknowledge and welcome members of the Stack family who are here today: Brian's wife Sheila and his sons Austin, Kieran and Oliver. The public apology that has been delivered today is long overdue because the murder of Brian Stack by the IRA was not just a crime against Brian and his family; it was also an attack on the State. At the time of his murder, Brian was the chief prison officer of Portlaoise Prison. It was a tough job which Brian carried out with distinction. On 25 March 1983, Brian was shot as he left an amateur boxing contest in the National Stadium. It was a cowardly and despicable crime which left Brian with catastrophic injuries. He died 18 months later. Nobody has ever been charged or convicted in connection with his murder. Before I talk about the serious flaws in the Garda investigations that followed, I want to remember Brian as a person because he was much more than the victim of that terrible crime. Most of all, he was devoted to his loving wife, Sheila, and his three young sons. He was also very involved in the GAA and boxing. He played hurling and was a noted intercounty referee. One particularly poignant photo I saw of Brian and his young sons was taken in 1976, in which they were all holding hurleys. When he was shot in 1983, his eldest son, Austin, was just 14, Kieran was 13 and his youngest son, Oliver, was 12. They were robbed of their father, his love and his guidance. He was robbed of the opportunity to watch them grow and to meet his eight grandchildren. Later on, Austin spoke about how harrowing and traumatic that period of their lives was. He said: As we grew up, 1983 was a very tough time for all of us ... As a 14-year-old, you’re shaving your father and he starts to cry. Those sort of things will remain with us for a long, long time. The failure to bring anyone to justice for this heinous crime compounded this suffering, as did the refusal of the IRA to admit responsibility, something which took 30 long years. In total, there were three separate Garda investigations into Brian's murder, and there has been very little transparency about what exactly went wrong. In 2019, the then Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, apologised for "failings and shortcomings in the investigation". He further stated that these failings were serious and had a detrimental impact on the investigation. The Stack family has been told that some of these failings related to key witnesses not being interviewed, material evidence such as fingerprint records going missing and critical intelligence not being acted on. However, no report on these failings has been published for all to see. A serious crime review team report detailing the failings has not been published and this is not acceptable. The Government is now issuing a State apology, which is right and proper, but we also need transparency and accountability. At a minimum, the Government should commit to publishing the report of the serious crime review team. I do not see why this cannot be done. Like this apology, its publication is long overdue.

I acknowledge and welcome Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver Stack and thank them for their immense courage and their dignity in being here today. The grace and determination the members of the Stack family have shown throughout their decades-long campaign for justice have been nothing short of remarkable. What began as a senseless act of violence against this family became a decades-long fight for answers, accountability and the truth. At almost every turn, they met barriers that should never have been put in their way in the first place. The murder of Brian Stack was an appalling act but what followed, and the manner in which his family was treated in its search for justice, compounded this tragedy in ways that are very difficult to comprehend. My colleague, Deputy O'Callaghan, has just spoken about the enormous loss Brian's murder represented to his young family at the time. It is something we should all take a moment to reflect on today. Before we speak about investigations, reports, institutional failures or State apologies, we should remember the man at the centre of all this. Brian Stack was a devoted husband and father. He was a dedicated public servant who carried out an incredibly difficult job with diligence and integrity. His bravery was recognised throughout his career and it stands in the starkest possible contrast to the cowardice of those who murdered him. He was shot in the back and his killers spent three decades refusing to acknowledge their responsibility. Even this acknowledgement did not come willingly. It came after years of extraordinary persistence by a family that should never have had to fight so hard for the truth. This is something we cannot lose sight of today. The Stack family were not simply grieving the loss of a husband and father; they were forced to become campaigners, to challenge institutions, to pursue information and to confront people who had an obligation to tell the truth. All the while, they were dealing with the most unimaginable personal loss. What makes this particularly difficult is that the family's suffering was compounded time and again by the failures of the State itself. We know that 194 distinct errors were identified in the first investigation into Brian's murder. This is an extraordinary number of failings in an investigation into a murder of this seriousness. They were not simply administrative mistakes or minor oversights; they were serious failures that undermined the investigation and, ultimately, the family's pursuit of justice. For years, Brian's family's belief about who was involved in this heinous act was not properly acknowledged. Information was withheld from the family and the transparency it was entitled to was not forthcoming. There is no way to undo the damage these failures have caused. No apology, however sincere, can give Brian Stack back to his family. No words spoken in this Chamber today can return the years his family have had to spend fighting for answers. We have an obligation now to ask ourselves what it means for the State to apologise. An apology cannot simply be the end of a process; it has to be worth the paper it is written on. If we are serious about acknowledging the failures that took place, we must be prepared to confront them openly. I agree with Deputy O'Callaghan that this should mean publishing the serious crime review team's report. This would allow Brian's family and the public to understand the full extent of what went wrong. It would mean recognising that transparency is not something to be feared or avoided simply because the truth might be uncomfortable. There is a broader point here about how we approach truth and reconciliation on this island. We speak a great deal about reconciliation, and rightly so, but reconciliation cannot mean avoiding difficult conversations. It cannot mean asking families to move on while the questions they have spent decades asking remain unanswered. It certainly cannot mean that the passage of time somehow diminishes the responsibilities of those who committed acts of violence or the institutions that subsequently failed the families left behind. If we are serious about truth and reconciliation, we have to be willing to have these hard conversations. We have to be prepared to acknowledge uncomfortable truths, even when they challenge the narratives that institutions have held onto for decades. We have to understand that reconciliation without truth is not meaningful reconciliation at all. The Stack family has demonstrated this more clearly than anybody. These family members have shown extraordinary courage in pursuing answers, even when doing so meant confronting powerful institutions and facing enormous resistance. The very least we owe them now is the willingness to do the difficult things ourselves, to be open about what happened, to acknowledge the full extent of the State's failures and to ensure the apology is accompanied by meaningful action. I again acknowledge Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver. I have enormous admiration for the dignity and determination you have shown throughout your campaign. You should not have had to fight so hard. You should never have had to spend decades demanding answers that ought to have been provided to you. While today is an important moment, I hope it is not presented as the conclusion of the State's responsibility to your family. The measure of this apology will not simply be in the words spoken here today; it will also be in what the State is prepared to do after the words have been spoken. Go raibh maith agaibh and thank you for your courage and dignity.

I take this opportunity to welcome Sheila Stack, and her sons, Austin, Oliver and Kieran, to the House today. I welcome the Government's decision to issue a formal apology to the family of the late Brian for the serious shortcomings in the Garda investigation into his shooting and death. As a Laois TD, I believe this is an important moment for our county and for the Irish Prison Service. Brian Stack served the State with distinction as chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison during a difficult and dangerous period in our history. He was a dedicated public servant who carried out his duties with commitment. His life was tragically changed and ended by a brutal attack. I know Brian's death was a devastating loss to you, Sheila; to your three sons, Austin, Oliver and Kieran; and to all of your extended family. It was also a loss to the Irish Prison Service and the wider community in County Laois. What makes this tragedy more painful is that more than four decades later, nobody has been brought to justice for his killing. The shortcomings in the original investigation were very serious. Important evidence was not retained, aspects of the investigation were not correctly documented, and Brian's family and wider circle of friends were not interviewed. It is troubling that the family itself had to bring relevant intelligence to the attention of investigators. These failures affected an investigation into the killing of a public servant and added to the distress of the family, who have spent decades seeking answers. I acknowledge the determination of Sheila, Austin, Oliver and Kieran in pursuing the truth about what happened to Brian. Their persistence over many years, in the face of considerable disappointment, deserves our respect. The Garda Commissioner apologised to the family in 2019, and the Government's decision to make a formal apology in this House today is an important acknowledgement of the failings that occurred. It demonstrates that the State is prepared to recognise where it fell short and to acknowledge the consequences for those affected. I know an apology cannot undo the family's loss, but it shows that Brian Stack's family deserved better and that the failings in the investigation must be recognised. Brian Stack's service has not been forgotten, as has been said. The establishment of the Stack Medal, the Irish Prison Service's highest award for exceptional personal bravery, and the naming of Brian Stack House at the Irish Prison Service College in Portlaoise are fitting tributes to his courage and dedication. I am glad this recognition is accompanied by a continued commitment to seeking justice. I welcome the confirmation that the investigation remains active, and I encourage An Garda Síochána to follow every appropriate line of inquiry to bring those responsible to justice. Today, we recognise Brian Stack's service to the State. We acknowledge the suffering endured by his family, and we welcome an apology that has been sought for many years. I hope this formal acknowledgement brings some comfort to Sheila, Austin, Oliver and Kieran. As a person born and reared in Portlaoise, I also want to say that Brian's father came from County Kerry to serve as an engineer with Laois County Council. The Stack family have been part of the community in Portlaoise and the community in Togher. I do not remember them being there, but I know Brian's father lived out there at one stage. When I was very young and living on the Abbeyleix Road in Portlaoise, my friends and I would go to the back of the Garda station, which is very close to our homes, and we would watch Brian Stack in there coaching younger people in boxing. I remember great people such as the late Bobby Blackwell, who was a garda in Portlaoise, and Gordon Blackwell who did boxing there. Brian Stack, as we would have known him when we were very young, would have been in there, not training those people but the younger kids. I can remember that distinctly. I say that because Brian Stack was a man who gave of his time outside work for the greater good of younger people in Portlaoise. He hurled with Portlaoise, as did his sons. Not only did he do that, but he also gave of his time as a referee, officiating at many underage matches to encourage people participating in sport. Little did I think I would be at a Portlaoise Town Commission meeting when the late Brian Stack died. That meeting used to be held at night, and it was adjourned as a mark of respect. It is nice to be here today to be a part of this apology on behalf of the Government. To Sheila, to her sons, to both extended families, and to the O'Donoghue family, I want to say that I agree with everything that has been done and said here today. Brian Stack deserves to be remembered with dignity and respect, and his family deserves our continued support in the pursuit of truth.

There is a fierce loneliness and sadness in the Chamber today as the State apologises for its own failures to investigate an horrific crime. There is something deeply painful about a family having to spend more than 40 years asking the State to acknowledge that it failed them. My thoughts today are with Sheila, Austin, Oliver and Kieran and everybody who loved Brian Stack. The presence of the Stack family here and the statements today remind us of a very dark time. It was difficult to listen to some in the Opposition because talk is cheap and easy, but actions are far more difficult. Brian Stack was chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison, as many have said, and a man who served the State with pride and dignity. To his family, however, he was a husband, a daddy and a person they expected to come home. In March 1983, Brian was shot as he left a boxing tournament. He survived, paralysed, and lived with devastating consequences until his death 18 months later. He was just 49. It was a desperate, cowardly and disgusting act by the Provisional IRA, a ruthless and rotten organisation that inflicted pain and terror on so many victims and families. We cannot measure what those months after the attack were like for Brian, Sheila and their boys, as they experienced fear, hopelessness and the grief of then losing him. Their suffering has been compounded by serious failures of the Irish authorities. Evidence was not retained, important investigative steps were not documented and Brian's family and friends were not interviewed. Unfortunately, the State has replicated these failures in respect of other acts of violence during the Troubles. These failures have affected the possibility of bringing many killers to justice, including Brian Stack's, and have denied many families the answers they deserved. The State should have carried out that responsibility. Instead, the Stack family had to keep pushing, questioning and searching for the truth. They should never have had to work so hard. I welcome the Taoiseach's full and unreserved apology today. It matters that the State says clearly on the record of this House that the family was profoundly failed by the State. However, we have to be honest that no one has been brought to justice for Brian Stack's killing. The passage of time does not diminish that responsibility, and anyone who holds information should come forward. A family has waited for far too long. People know who did this. If they really want a peaceful and reconciled island and a peaceful and proper future, which we all want in this House, they must face up to what they did. As somebody from Louth, a Border county, I know that peace requires us to face up to those painful truths. We cannot ask bereaved families to set their grief aside because the truth is uncomfortable. Their loved ones mattered, and their questions still matter. Although the truth is desperately painful, they are faced with hypocrisy, contradiction, hurt and trauma. Far too many families are still awaiting justice and knowledge not only of what happened to their loved ones but in many cases, and in the cases of those who disappeared, even where their bodies are. An apology cannot return the years with Brian that were stolen from his family or answer every question, but I sincerely hope today brings his family some measure of peace. Brian Stack served the State with dignity and gave it proper service. His family deserves better. Today, we must mean every word of that apology and ensure that more is done for the Stack family in Brian's memory.

I welcome today's State apology to the family of Brian Stack, and I too offer my sympathies to Brian's wife, Sheila, and to their sons, Austin, Kieran and Oliver. Brian Stack's shooting was wrong and should never have happened. The Stack family's search for truth and for justice deserves respect and support. I was five years old when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. I grew up with the possibilities that peace opened for my generation because others found the courage to talk, negotiate and build a peaceful and democratic way forward. I entered politics because I believe in a united Ireland and a better future for everybody who shares this island. That belief fills me with hope but it also brings a responsibility to listen to those who carry the hurt of the past. People from every section of the community suffered through the actions of various actors in the conflict, including the forces of the British state, the IRA and loyalists. As a republican, I acknowledge the suffering caused by all republican actions. My generation inherited a hard-won peace. We must protect that peace and help those who are still living with the hurt of the past. We cannot ask families to leave their grief behind. That is not possible. We must support their right to truth and justice. That requires a comprehensive and independent truth recovery process for conflict-related deaths alongside a fair examination of wider investigative failures and miscarriages of justice. Everyone who can help families to establish the truth has a responsibility to do all that they can. For my generation, building on peace means facing the past honestly and helping to create a future in which the suffering of the past is never repeated. Today, I hope this apology provides some meaningful acknowledgement of the loss and the failures that the Stack family have endured.

I welcome the opportunity, on behalf of the Labour Party, to speak on the State apology to the family of the late Brian Stack in relation to the grave failures in the investigations into his murder. This apology from the State is long overdue. It is very welcome. I express my deepest sympathies to the family of Brian Stack – Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver – who are with us today, and commend them on their long campaign for justice. Even though they continue to be denied justice for the murder of their father, I hope that today's apology and acknowledgement of State failings will be of some comfort and support to them. Brian Stack was chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison. Forty-three years ago, in March 1983, after attending a boxing match, he was shot in the neck and paralysed, and ultimately died in September 1984, aged just 49. Brian Stack was a husband, father, committed local sports organiser and dedicated public servant. He went out to enjoy an evening of sport and never returned to the life he had known, leaving a wife and three young sons. His killing was an appalling act of violence. It was an attack on a servant of the State, indeed on the State itself, and it had devastating consequences for the people who knew and loved him. The Stack family have shown extraordinary determination, resilience and courage over the four decades and more since Brian was killed. They have continued to ask questions, to seek answers and to insist that failures in the investigations should be recognised. We know that a State apology will not compensate them for the years of love and companionship stolen from them and from Brian's eight grandchildren. It cannot return the years they have lost or undo their suffering. It cannot secure the conviction of Brian's murderer. However, today's statements are essential in affirming that the Stack family were failed and that they were right to raise the questions that they have asked. I acknowledge the words of Austin Stack, who has spoken of the comfort this apology will bring, particularly to Sheila, in finally having the State officially recognise that they were failed. In 2013, the Provisional IRA accepted responsibility for Brian Stack's killing, but no one has ever been brought to justice for it, despite three separate investigations into the murder. Those investigations, the initial one in particular, we know now to have been riddled with defects, and indeed the Taoiseach outlined some of the particular failings and defects. In 2019, the former Garda Commissioner apologised for his organisation's failures on that front. It is important for this House to apologise today too. Labour is a party in opposition today but my party has served in government. We recognise and acknowledge the State failures that we are here to discuss and we echo the apology from the Taoiseach. However important an apology may be, it is no substitute for justice. There must be people who know who Brian Stack's killer or killers are. Indeed, it has been alleged that former Members of this House either knew who the killer was or possessed information that would have been material to an investigation into the killer. In this context, as we know, on 7 December 2016 former TD and leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams made a Dáil statement, a personal explanation by a Member, on the murder of Brian Stack. It is very rare for the Dáil to give a Member time for a personal statement. It is the Labour Party's view that Gerry Adams wasted that opportunity in failing to provide the Stack family with substantive answers in that statement. Exactly ten years since that statement, there are still far too many questions that have not been addressed by Sinn Féin. Gerry Adams is no longer a Member of this House. There is no Dáil mechanism to enable him to make a second statement in the Oireachtas, but his party still has Dáil representation and it still has outstanding questions to answer, as the Government does. On the Government failings and the serious crime review report, Austin Stack has said this week that the review team found 194 errors and omissions in the first investigation and that his family has received only a verbal summary of some of them. The Stack family have asked successive Ministers for justice to allow them to see the full report. I repeat that call and ask the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, to ensure the report will be disclosed to the family after today's apology. Sinn Féin also has a role here. Austin Stack has called on it to apologise and to do more than that, namely assist in the quest for justice for Brian. For anyone watching, I repeat the call of former Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris. When making his apology in 2019, he confirmed then that the investigation remained open. He appealed for anyone with information to come forward. That appeal remains equally important today. Indeed, it was very welcome to hear the Taoiseach say that An Garda Síochána continues to pursue live lines of inquiry in this case, that the Garda is making every effort to bring those responsible to justice and that it is continuing to liaise with the Stack family in that regard. That is extremely welcome. Anyone with information on the murder of Brian Stack, even all these years later, must come forward to the Garda now. When a family seeks answers after the murder of a loved one, particularly a loved one murdered in the service of the State, the State must do all in its power to pursue the truth. When that does not happen and investigations fail, families still deserve accountability. Today is about Brian Stack and the people who loved him. It is about the grief that the family have had to carry for more than four decades. It is about their strength in challenging the State and those who knew what went on that day, and about their courage. It is also about their courage. Their courage has been no mean feat. They deserve our fulsome commendations for the work they have done in seeking to uncover the truth. On behalf of the Labour Party again, I welcome the State apology today. I hope it brings some measure of comfort to the Stack family. I also hope it will cause those with the means of assisting them to reflect further, to reflect and to do the right thing in helping and supporting the family in their long-standing quest to expose the truth of what happened to Brian Stack and to secure justice and accountability for him now. Brian Stack and his family deserved better from the State 40 years ago, and they deserve better today too.

I welcome the State's and the Taoiseach's full, unreserved apology to the Stack family this afternoon. I welcome Sheila, Austin, Oliver and Kieran to the House. Our thoughts are also with the wider Stack family and Brian's Prison Service colleagues. Brian Stack was chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison. In March 1983, he was shot from behind as he left the National Stadium. He was left paralysed and died 18 months later, aged just 49. He is the only prison officer in the State to die as a result of the Troubles. I have met Austin on several occasions, most recently in my capacity as Cathaoirleach of the Good Friday Agreement committee. Austin was 14 when his father died. For decades, his family has fought tirelessly for answers. They brought to light intelligence never recorded on the original file and, in 2013, through their own efforts, they secured an admission of IRA responsibility. No family should have to do this work. Today, the State acknowledges its failures. The map of the crime scene was not kept, the motorcycle helmet was not kept, fingerprints were not kept and the family were never even interviewed. Those failings were serious. They affected the investigation itself, and no one has ever been brought to justice for the killing of Brian Stack. Today shows that the legacy of the Troubles is a question for this State too. Last night, the House of Commons passed the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill by 330 votes to 178, and it now goes to the House of Lords. The Government has called this an important milestone, and I agree, but the legislation must also comply with the European convention and stay faithful to the joint framework. I share the concerns about one particular element. Serious Troubles-related prosecutions will now need the consent of the attorney general in London. The reforms that flowed from the Good Friday Agreement removed the attorney general's power to direct prosecutions, and I know these concerns are shared across the North too. However, there is progress as well. Legislation passed this year allows the Omagh bombing inquiry to seek sworn evidence from the Garda and officials. Last month, it heard from a senior Garda detective. That is both Governments delivering on their commitments. The families and, indeed, the victims will judge that progress by the answers it brings. However, Governments cannot do this alone. Those who were involved hold answers no file contains. The Stack family proved that. Four families still wait to bury their loved ones: Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire. I renew the call on former paramilitary groups to bring what they know to the Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains, engage fully with the new information retrieval body and give these families a degree of closure. I ask the Taoiseach to raise these issues with the British Government, particularly while the Bill is with the House of Lords. Brian Stack served this State with courage. For far too long, the State did not serve his family as it should have. I hope today’s State apology brings some degree of closure and peace to the family.

At the heart of this story is a man who was in the fullness of his life, a wife, Sheila, who had a wonderful husband by her side and sons, Austin, Kieran and Oliver, who had a wonderful father who was part of the community. All too tragically, undeservedly and unjustifiably, he was struck down in the prime of his life. While we are all here to acknowledge the failings of the State and the investigations, we should never forget that the true cause of his death was by the perpetrator and that there are people here today, both inside and outside of this Chamber, who hold the answers to many of those questions. I wish to acknowledge the immense dignity, perseverance and strength shown by Sheila Stack and her sons for more than four decades in their pursuit of truth and justice for their husband and father. While no apology can undo the terrible loss suffered by the Stack family, today’s full and unreserved apology is an important recognition of the serious failings that occurred in the investigations following the murder of Brian, their husband and father. We remember Brian’s dedication and service to the State and the sacrifices made by his family. I hope this apology brings some measure of acknowledgement, comfort and closure to Brian’s family. Their dignity, resilience and determination have been an example to us all. Today, we stand with the Stack family and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every effort continues to be made in the pursuit of truth and justice. I hope they never lose hope that, in some way, we can get that truth for them. I stand with my colleagues and appeal, beg and implore anyone, either inside or outside of this Chamber, to bring forth that information and give comfort once and for all to the Stack family.

The killing of Brian Stack was absolutely wrong. There can be no equivocation in that regard. No Irish republican would ever try to justify what happened. It was absolutely wrong. I commend Sheila and the Stack family on their campaign for answers and justice. When I look at the litany of Garda failures, I want to also tell the story of someone I personally knew and loved, namely Councillor Eddie Fullerton from my hometown of Buncrana, County Donegal. Eddie was assassinated by unionist paramilitaries in May 1991. Looking at the litany of failures by An Garda Síochána in the investigation of Brian Stack, they are repeated and even worse in the case of Councillor Eddie Fullerton, whose murder occurred just a short number of years later. A key witness had seen those responsible, clearly having burned out the car used and being picked up by another car. That key witness was dismissed by a senior member of An Garda Síochána when they presented their evidence the next day. It was only 12 years later when the witness listened to Eddie Fullerton’s late son, Albert Fullerton, on the radio and reached out to him that the family became aware of this. Key forensic evidence was not dealt with. Legal people who looked at this case years later were shocked at the lack of professionalism and the sheer indifference they saw. Ballistic evidence – this is shocking – was passed over by the RUC on the killing of another republican. The same gun used in that killing was used to kill Eddie Fullerton. There were four key suspects, but it would take a decade before An Garda Síochána asked for them to be questioned. We now know that one of the suspects went on to be responsible for the massacres in Castlerock and Greysteel. He was a British military agent and a sectarian serial killer. That is what happens when there is a failure to follow the evidence, interview witnesses or have any sort of passion for this. The Fullerton family repeatedly had to have meetings with the Taoiseach’s predecessor, Bertie Ahern, and with senior gardaí. I challenge anyone to read the report by former Chief Superintendent Noel White. It is an utter disgrace and a shambles of a report that wilfully obstructed the truth that they knew and must have had in their possession. That legacy of An Garda Síochána is a betrayal of the many decent, honourable members whom I have known all my life. They are good, honest and decent people but they were failed, for whatever reason, by senior people. We see it again in the case of Brian Stack. It is a sad case. Some day, I hope there will be a State apology for the family of Councillor Eddie Fullerton.

The Provisional IRA’s violence was brutal, vicious, cowardly and futile. It included a daughter shot beside her parents after mass, families bombed on remembrance Sunday, a father chained into a vehicle carrying a bomb and Brian Stack, father of three, shot in the neck as he left a boxing contest. I feel angry for those robbed of their lives and families robbed of a future together. I feel angry that it was done in the name of a united Ireland. I wish as much energy went into providing answers for families over the years as went into trying to justify the unjustifiable. Mr. Stack served the State as a prison officer. His wife, Sheila, and her three young sons endured 18 months of his suffering before losing him. I commend the family’s dignity and bravery. Austin has supported me from time to time on social media and, today, I want to show my solidarity to him and his family. Three Garda investigations have brought no one to justice. According to Austin, in media reports, a review identified 194 errors and omissions in the original investigation. Today’s apology matters but the family must also receive the fullest possible account of what went wrong, including the circumstances surrounding the investigation. Austin has called on Sinn Féin to show moral leadership and basic humanity in helping to establish the truth. No family should have to plead for answers. No organisation should ask of others what it is not willing to do itself. Last night, the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill completed its passage through the House of Commons. It now goes to the House of Lords, which is a significant step towards implementing the joint framework agreed by both governments. We must advance our own legislation and ensure these arrangements deliver answers for families. Currently, however, there is no barrier to doing the right thing. An independent truth recovery process is not needed to do the right thing. All combatants should be giving maximum information to victims and survivors. Gardaí yesterday appealed for men who were present 19 years ago at the murder of Paul Quinn. The Quinn family deserves truth. The McVeigh family still waits for the day they can give a Christian burial to Columba. They deserve information. All victims deserve truth and accountability, whoever was responsible. The Stack family deserves this apology, and I am so pleased to be here today. They also deserve the truth.

I acknowledge Sheila Stack and her sons, Austin, Kieran and Oliver. For most of us, Brian Stack's murder is a chapter in our country's history, but for his family, it is not history. It is a husband who never came home, a father missing from the family table, from the birthdays, Christmases and all of those ordinary, yet precious, moments that make up a life together. No apology can ever give those moments back. Brian Stack was a public servant carrying out a difficult, dangerous job on behalf of this State. He deserved its protection and his family deserved justice when he was murdered. As a Member of this House, I want to associate myself with the Taoiseach's State apology and offer my own sincere apology to the Stack family. They deserved better from the institutions of the State and I am deeply sorry that they did not receive it. I want to acknowledge the extraordinary courage of the Stack family. For over four decades, through disappointment and unanswered questions, they never gave up seeking justice for a man they loved. That brings me to something I believe deeply. Anyone can do what is right when it is easy, when there is no personal cost and no consequences. When doing what is right is difficult, when the consequences are real, that is when the true measure of our character is revealed. That is courage, that is integrity, and that is the measure by which we should be judged. I could stand here and shout across the Chamber demanding answers, but what good is another political exchange to a family who have waited so long? Instead, I want to speak directly to anyone who knows the truth. There comes a time in our lives when we must take stock. We must look at the ledger of our lives and weigh the good we have done against the wrongs we have committed. In the stillness of the night, when the world falls silent and we are left alone with our conscience, we cannot hide from that reckoning. We cannot rewrite yesterday but we can still choose what we write tomorrow. To those who know the truth about Brian Stack's murder, I ask them to find the courage to make that choice today. I say to Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver that their husband and father served this country with courage and they have honoured his memory with their own courage. I hope today's apology brings some comfort, but more importantly, that it brings them closer to the truth and the justice they have sought for so long. I want them to know that the search for answers must not end here. Time may pass, memories may fade and generations may change but justice does not have an expiry date.

Today is, first and foremost, about the Stack family. For more than four decades, the family of Brian Stack have carried an unimaginable burden. They lost a husband, a father and a public servant in the most tragic of circumstances. Since then, they have endured years of grief, uncertainty and a long search for answers. No words spoken in this Chamber today can undo that loss. No apology, however sincere, can bring Brian back to his family or restore the years that have been taken from them. However, acknowledging wrongdoing, recognising suffering and ensuring that the voices of victims and their families are heard matters. I want to pay tribute to the courage, dignity and determination shown by the Stack family throughout their long campaign. Despite all that they have endured, they have continued to seek truth, justice and accountability with remarkable strength. As Members of this House, regardless of political party, we owe it to the victims and their families to listen to them, respect their experience and ensure that they are never forgotten. Today's apology must be more than words. It must be a reflection on the failures that have caused hurt and frustration. It must also be a commitment that future generations of victims and their families will be treated with the respect, openness and support they deserve. The State cannot change the past but it can learn from it. It can acknowledge where people have been let down and can work to rebuild trust where it has been damaged. I hope today's apology to the Stack family provides some measure of recognition for the pain they have carried for so long. While nothing can erase their loss, I hope it demonstrates that their voices have been heard and that Brian's memory continues to matter to this nation. On behalf of my constituents and my party, Independent Ireland, I extend my deepest sympathy to the Stack family and pay tribute to their perseverance and dignity. May the memory of Brian continue to be honoured and may today's proceedings help to ensure that victims and their families remain at the centre of our consideration in the years ahead.

Today is a very significant day for the Stack family. They have waited a very long time for the State to give a formal apology arising from the murder of Brian Stack, who was a well-regarded chief prison officer in Portlaoise for many years. To put it in a local context, since the foundation of the State, Portlaoise Prison has housed the most difficult people who were convicted of criminal offences. Anybody who does not appreciate the work of prison officers does not fully understand that they are in with these people, minding them and making sure they are kept inside the prison walls. They do this on behalf of society to make sure that we are safe. There is a community in Portlaoise of prison officers and generations of prison officers. Not only do we have Portlaoise Prison, but we also have the Midlands Prison. Side by side, they probably amount to the biggest prison complex in the country. There are over 1,000 prison officers in there today and there would be over 1,000 inmates in the prison as we speak. It is important that we have prisons for people who have shown total disregard for the law and that every effort is made by the State to protect prison officers, who have a very difficult job. It is a job that is carried out behind high walls, which is why the public does not fully appreciate what is involved in the work that prison officers do. It is a very significant day for the Stack family. The Government has decided to make a formal apology on behalf of the State to the family of prison officer, Brian Stack. Why is the Government making this apology? The apology is for the mistakes, shortcomings and lack of due diligence by An Garda Síochána on several occasions over several years and its failure to carry out a proper investigation into who was responsible for the execution of Brian Stack. It behoves the State to continue the investigation. There may be information available that can lead to the proper identification of the persons involved. I know that Austin Stack and his brothers have met people and I am sure there are people out there who can provide more information. I ask that the State, which has made an apology, do everything possible to bring to justice those involved in that fatal shooting in Dublin so many years ago. I would also ask those people who know about this to come forward in conscience because it is never too late to do the right thing. Even though many years have passed, it is not too late. The failed Garda investigation is an embarrassment to An Garda Síochána. It was looked at on so many occasions and it was a systemic failure. It was not just a failure by individual gardaí. It does not appear that there was a genuine concern and determination to bring the perpetrator to justice. Maybe there are reasons as to why that might be the case that we do not know in this House. However, there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. Sheila Stack is originally a Donoghue from Portlaoise. She comes from a well-known family and I have known her for many years. She is a lovely lady. When we think about Brian Stack, we also have to think of Sheila, who had to take on the role of mother and father to their three sons, Austin, Oliver and Kieran. That was not an easy job and her hands were full, as we can understand, but she was never interviewed by An Garda Síochána. People in the prison who may have had information, including work colleagues of Brian Stack, were never interviewed. There were probably prisoners in Portlaoise Prison at the time who were aware of who was involved in this. These are examples of the total failure of the work by the Garda at that time. One would hope that situations like that would never recur in relation to any serious murder case like this. Bear in mind that he was the only prison officer murdered during the troubled times. It is easy for us to think about this, but people should realise how difficult life was for the Garda Síochána at the time dealing with the Troubles, and for the prison officers dealing with the trouble-makers when they were convicted because they had their links with outside colleagues and things continued. I compliment the Taoiseach and the wider Government for taking on board the great campaign by the Stack family. They family are to be praised for continuing this work. Other families may have given up years ago. It shows their determination, and I think it came down to genes. Austin has been a distinguished member of the Prison Service for a long number of years. It shows that these things run in families. They run deep and do not go away. It is important that the Government made this apology today. I think it will go some way, but it does not fully solve the mystery of who carried out the murder. I ask that people do this. It is a good day for the family, but it is a very poignant and sad day. All I can say to Sheila and the three children is that I know Brian is up there looking down on us. He is proud of you for working so hard and tirelessly in your campaign with the Government, which has rightly issued this formal apology on behalf of the State.

I, too, begin by extending my deepest sympathy to Sheila and her sons, Austin, Kieran and Oliver, who are in the Public Gallery. We are neighbours, as Deputy Fleming has said, in Graiguecullen in Laois. I commend the Stack family for their tireless campaign to uncover the truth of Brian's murder. Their determination, courage and resilience deserve our utmost respect. It should never have fallen to a family already devastated by the loss of a husband and father to fight for so long to obtain the answers and information they deserved. I commend them for keeping Brian's memory and legacy alive and for ensuring that his life and the circumstances of his death are not forgotten. I warmly welcome today's State apology and acknowledge fully the serious failings in this case. This apology was long overdue, but I am glad it has been delivered today. I commend the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, for acknowledging the State's failures and apologising to the Stack family. Brian Stack was a young man in the prime of his life going about an ordinary evening attending a boxing event at the National Stadium. His family have lived with the consequences ever since. State apologies are rare, and while they are not given lightly, they are sometimes necessary to acknowledge grave wrongs and failures. Today's apology is one such occasion. It cannot undo the pain, restore Brian's life or erase the years of uncertainty endured by his family, but it is an important recognition of what went wrong and of the injustice that the Stack family have experienced. I hope today brings Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver some acknowledgement and comfort that they have shown extraordinary strength in ensuring that Brian's name and legacy endure. They deserve the answers, they deserve accountability, and today, at long last, their suffering and campaign have been publicly acknowledged.

I also welcome the State apology to the family of Brian Stack. Brian Stack was shot in the back of the head by the IRA in 1983. Brian was a loved husband and father of three children. His killing was devastating for his family and friends, and no greater disaster can befall a young family than the killing of a parent. Ireland was experiencing difficult times during the Troubles. The North was in convulsions, but even under these heartbreaking scenarios, the killing of Brian Stack shocked people across the Thirty-two Counties. I understand that Brian was the only prison officer killed during the Troubles. The victims and survivors of these shocking killings should be entitled to justice and truth. This is especially true for anybody who was working in the service of the State. The fact that justice and truth have been denied to the Stack family is absolutely wrong. The primary responsibility for this lies with the people who pulled the trigger and with the IRA. Nationalists and republicans rightly fight for truth for the hundreds of nationalists and republicans who were killed by the British state, but equally there is a responsibility on the IRA and republicans to make sure that people who were killed at their hands receive truth and justice as well. There is an incredible responsibility that lies with the State, given that Brian was in the service of the State. That there is no real truth recovery process in the State is a serious mistake, given how long time has travelled since the Good Friday Agreement. That there were three separate Garda investigations into Brian's killing is incredible. It is unbelievable that so many investigations have happened. A review into the first investigation showed that there were 194 errors and omissions. There was physical evidence and that physical evidence has not been used to facilitate a proper investigation. That is outrageous. It is important for the State to look at itself in relation to this and make sure that it can never happen again. I understand that the Stacks have looked for access to the review carried out into this but that that access was denied. That is also deeply problematic. Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh an leithscéal seo ón Rialtas. Tá sé déanach. I ndáiríre, ba cheart go mbeadh sé ann deich mbliana ó shin. Ba cheart go mbeadh scéal agus nuacht fós le fáil ó phoblachtánaigh sa tír seo mar gheall ar cad a tharla ar an lá cinniúnach sin agus cad a tharla do Brian.

I begin my remarks by expressing my sincere apology as Minister for justice to Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver - the Stack family - for the various failings documented by the Taoiseach in relation to the Garda investigation into the murder of chief officer Brian Stack. Brian Stack served the State during a time of great challenge and as Sheila, Austin, Kieran and Oliver have vividly described, his life was characterised by a belief in public service. His callous and cowardly murder by the Provisional IRA in 1984 in connection with his role in the Irish Prison Service at Portlaoise Prison was an attack both on the State and the spirit of public service that Brian Stack embodied. Today, we remember Brian Stack not only as a victim of the Troubles, but alongside those members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces who, as public servants, made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the State during this time. As the Taoiseach has rightly said, this public service remains greatly valued. Regretfully, Brian Stack and his family have been let down by the State, and this has compounded the trauma they have experienced at the loss of a husband and a father. As Minister for justice, I am truly sorry for this. Although the Garda authorities have assured me that their investigation remains open and that they continue to actively pursue live lines of inquiry in this regard, the failure to document potentially critical decisions during the original investigation in 1983 and 1984, and the loss of crucial evidence since then, have undoubtedly hampered the Garda's efforts to bring those responsible to justice. As time has passed since the Good Friday Agreement, these failings have made it impossible for the Stack family to move on, as they have explained to many of us in this Chamber. It is also clear that, both during the original investigation and in the years following, many of the failings for which the Government is apologising today arose from how An Garda Síochána communicated with the Stack family and kept them informed in the course of the criminal investigation. Although family liaison as we know it today in respect of serious crime was not yet an established concept in policing in Ireland during the 1980s, this cannot excuse or explain the many gaps and failures in communication that have taken place since then. It is difficult to reconcile aspects of what the Stack family were told about the investigation at various times in the 42 years since Brian Stack’s murder with what they have uncovered themselves about those events. It is they who have been the constant in the pursuit of justice for Brian Stack and we owe them our gratitude for this, as well as our apology. The events of recent weeks in Portadown remind us that the peace process on this island is ongoing. The conflict may have ended formally in 1998 but, for the bereaved and the injured, in particular, it remains a daily feature of their lives. Some of the measures that it took to secure that peace were painful for them to witness, and I know that this was the case for the Stack family, but those measures were accepted in a growing spirit of reconciliation and optimism for the future, which contrasts so starkly with the nihilism behind the murder of Brian Stack by the Provisional IRA. The Stack family lived in peace before Brian's murder and were respected in their community in Laois and they have remained committed to the pursuit of justice, truth and accountability by lawful means since then in the knowledge that to open the door to the contemplation of any alternative would be to justify the pathway taken by those who did harm onto them and to others. Austin Stack was correct when he spoke of his mother, Sheila Stack, and the other bereaved like her who had suffered both in the conflict and in the peace that followed, as the real peacemakers. Like Sheila Stack and her sons, we have to search for what is in our own hands to contribute to reconciliation and to address the legacy of the conflict on these islands. I have spoken before in this House about the need for contrition as we seek collectively to do so. As Austin Stack has set out, he and his family have faced many obstacles in their long journey to seek justice, truth and accountability for their beloved father and husband, Brian, and today, we as a Government are rightly apologising for the failings of the State and for the profound impact that these have had on the Stack family. Sadly, this is but one side of the coin. The killers of Brian Stack remain at large, and this is a matter of deep regret to me. Only they can answer for pulling the trigger that night in March 1983. There are those with knowledge of these dark events that continue to deny this and their role, while the unlawful organisation responsible has only made partial admissions to its role in Brian Stack's murder and the perverse reasoning behind this. The House will already be aware of this Government's commitment to addressing the legacy of the Troubles and the implementation of the joint framework on legacy agreed with the British Government. Fundamentally, this is about delivering truth, accountability and, where possible, justice to families like the Stack family. The House will have the opportunity to debate the legislative measures we are proposing to deliver this in the coming months through the legacy of the Troubles Bill. Today, however, I call on anyone with knowledge of the events leading to the murder of Brian Stack to show contrition and the values of peace embodied by the Stack family throughout their lives, and give that knowledge to the authorities in recognition of the pain that the Stack family continue to endure.