ROAD SAFETY:THE FATHER of a young woman who died in a Co Donegal roadcrash said yesterday he welcomed an opportunity to give evidence to an EU inquiry into road surfacing by Donegal County Council.
Seán Farren, from Carndonagh, said he was “delighted” the European Parliament’s petitions committee has started an investigation which will include examination of the death of his 22-year-old daughter Sinead McDaid after her vehicle went out of control on a section of road undergoing works near Culdaff village in June 2001.
Mr Farren will be allowed three minutes of speaking time before the parliament inquiry, scheduled for September or October.
MEP Jim Higgins confirmed yesterday that the investigation had begun following a petition submitted by the Farren family.
Mr Higgins, who helped draft the petition, said the family had been forced to take its case to Europe because Donegal County Council and the Government had refused to co-operate with local investigations into Ms McDaid’s death.
He said: “She died in an accident linked to loose chippings on the road from Malin to Culdaff. There were no warning signs to allow her to prepare for the unstable surface. It appears that excess chippings had not been swept away, and the road’s safety was compromised.”
Mr Farren said: “It’s disgraceful that as Irish citizens we have to go to Brussels to seek justice for the death of our daughter.”
Donegal county manager Michael McLoone last night denied the council had refused to co-operate with any inquiry.