Family of Brian Stack to receive State apology

The family of a prison officer who was murdered by the IRA over 40 years ago is to receive a State apology in the Dáil this afternoon, for failings in the subsequent investigations into his killing.

Brian Stack, who was Chief Prison Officer at Portlaoise, was shot in the neck after leaving a boxing match in March 1983. He was left paralysed and died in September 1984, aged 49.

In 2013, the Provisional IRA took responsibility for the killing, which was the only murder of a prison officer in the State related to the Troubles.

There were three separate garda investigations into Mr Stack's death, but no one was ever brought to justice for his killing.

His family have fought tirelessly for justice in the decades since and in 2019 received an apology from then Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for failings in the investigations.

This afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin will address the Dáil to offer an apology on behalf of the State to the Stack family.

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan will also address the Chamber.

Prior to the Dáil proceedings, the Stack family will hold a private meeting at Government Buildings with Mr Martin and Mr O'Callaghan.

Speaking on Monday, his son Austin said: "The apology means a great deal of comfort. It brings a great deal of comfort to my family, especially my mother, that the State are now officially recognising the failings that occurred in three separate investigations, particularly that first investigation."

State apologies are rare and major political events, with the most recent coming when the Taoiseach apologised to the survivors of convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally in July this year.

Last year, Mr O'Callaghan apologised to the family of Monaghan hit-and-run victim Shane O'Farrell for the criminal justice system not protecting him.

The 23-year-old was knocked off his bicycle and killed by a driver who should have been in jail at the time.

Zigimantas Gridziuska was a repeat criminal who had committed a series of offences while on bail and, a year before the hit-and-run, was given a prison sentence which he did not serve