The mother of Mr John Carthy, the man shot dead by gardai last year at Abbeylara, Co Longford, has welcomed an Oireachtas sub-committee inquiry into the incident.
Mrs Rose Carthy's comments came after seven members of the sub-committee visited the scene of the shooting just outside the village yesterday. She said she was delighted the sub-committee was visiting the scene and she hoped all those who give evidence to the inquiry, which begins hearing evidence today, would tell the truth.
The sub-committee members spent about 40 minutes there. Led by chairman Mr Sean Ardagh TD, they walked the road where Mr Carthy (27) emerged before he was shot dead by members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit on April 20th last year.
The house from which Mr Carthy emerged was demolished shortly after the shooting. However, its site had been marked out with cord and posts by a neighbour for the Oireachtas members.
Accompanied by the inquiry's legal team, advisers and researchers, the members carried maps which noted the positions of gardai and ERU members during the 25-hour siege before the shooting. No gardai were present yesterday.
Hearings begin at Kildare House, Dublin, at 10 a.m. today and the first witness is to be the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne. Also due to give evidence today are Assistant Commissioner Mr Tony Hickey, Chief Supt Adrian Culligan, who compiled the internal Garda report into the shooting, and Supt John Farrelly of the Garda press office.
It has also emerged that a number of Garda witnesses, who were not due to testify, have now been added to the list of witnesses.
The inquiry sub-committee, which is to hear evidence over about 10 days, was set up by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights to examine the Garda report into the incident, submissions received on the report, and to make recommendations, if necessary.