The sister of one of the two women murdered in Grangegorman in 1997 has called for a public inquiry into the Garda handling of the case.
Ms Stella Nolan, a sister of Ms Sylvia Sheils, said today's public apology by the Garda, to the family of the late Dean Lyons, who was wrongfully charged with the murders, leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One, she said: "I'm glad they apologised to the family but it still leaves a lot of questions. Why was he charged, put in prison and then let go. There is no answer in having a public apology. I want a public inquiry. I'm not looking for revenge just justice," she said.
Mr Lyons's parents also welcomed the apology from the Garda. John and Sheila Lyons said they knew all along their son had not committed the murders and believed he was "strung out" and "vulnerable" when he made the admission of guilt seven years ago.
"Dean had a hand in it himself when he said he done it and the guards had to follow up what he said. I'm not angry, not bitter at all. They had to do a job and when they found out they didn't do it they admitted it," said Mr Lyons.
Mark Nash: sentenced to two life terms for murder in 1997
Ms Sheils (58) and Ms Mary Callinan (61) were living in sheltered housing in Grangegorman, linked to the nearby St Brendan's psychiatric hospital, and were found with at least 30 stab wounds each from what appeared to have been a frenzied attack.
Gardaí from the Bridewell Garda station mounted a huge murder investigation involving 200 officers. Mr Lyons, a 24-year-old homeless heroin addict, was arrested in the summer of 1997 shortly after the murders and charged.
He had been seen in the Grangegorman area around the time of the murders.
He made a full confession to the killings and was charged on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He was remanded in custody. When it emerged he had made a false confession he was released in 1998 but died three years later.
No other arrest or charge has been brought in relation to the case, although convicted double murderer Mark Nash has been identified by the State in other court proceedings as a suspect.
Less than six months following the Grangegorman killings Nash killed a young Dublin couple, Carl and Catherine Doyle, in their rural home near Castlerea in Co Roscommon in a frenzied knife attack.
Catherine's sister, Sarah, who had been visiting for the weekend, was also found seriously injured in the remote house. Her boyfriend, Nash, who had a history of violence, confessed to the Grangegorman killings during after his arrest over the Castlerea murders, although he subsequently retracted this confession.
Despite the confession, which was relayed to senior officers in Dublin, Mr Lyons continued to be held on charges relating to the Grangegorman murders.
It was not until March, seven months later, that the DPP decided to drop the charges against Mr Lyons, and he was released. He died in Manchester in September 2000 from a drug overdose.
Nash was convicted and sentenced to two life terms for the murders of the Doyle couple.
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, told the Dáil today that the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell may make a statement on the murders. She told the Labour Party leader Mr Pat Rabbitte that she would discuss the "horrific" murders with the minister. "I'm sure he would be willing to deal with the matter in the House," she added.
Mr Rabbitte, who said that Mr Lyons was a constituent, earlier welcomed the Garda apology but called on Mr McDowell to make a full statement. "The two murders concerned remain unsolved and there is a necessity for a more detailed explanation of how Dean Lyons was wrongfully charged with the two murders concerned."
Earlier this month, Mr McDowell said he would not announce an inquiry into the murders while the Garda investigation was ongoing. "Unfortunately, Dean Lyons is now dead, so an inquiry could never get his side of the story. It would only get to hear from the gardaí who interviewed him, so there's a limit to what a public inquiry could achieve," Mr McDowell said.