McDowell doubts need for inquiry on murders

The Minister for Justice has said he would "keep an open mind" on holding a public inquiry into the 1997 Grangegorman murders, pending the outcome of a Garda investigation.

Mr McDowell told The Irish Times last night he would not announce an inquiry into the murders of Sylvia Sheils and Mary Callinan, for which 24-year-old Dean Lyons was wrongfully charged, while the investigation was ongoing.

However, if the outcome of the investigation indicated a further public inquiry would be appropriate, he would give it consideration. "The Garda inquiry is not yet completed, but if for some reason it indicated that I might change my mind on whether to have a public inquiry, I would approach that with an open mind," he said.

Mr McDowell had said previously he was satisfied there was no need for a public inquiry into the murders.

Mr Lyons was arrested shortly after the murders in the summer of 1997 and charged. It transpired subsequently that 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.

Ms Stella Nolan, a sister of Sylvia Sheils, called last week for a full inquiry.

Mr McDowell said yesterday: "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."

He also had to consider the expense of such an inquiry to the taxpayer. "I currently have six to eight demands for various public inquires. I have to be careful, when I commit public money, what such inquiries can achieve and I'm not sure of the requirement in this case."

Mr McDowell said also he did not intend to form a Garda board as recommended by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Michael Conaghan.

The Minister was speaking at the unveiling of the Lord Mayor's Commission on Crime and Policing in City Hall yesterday.

While the commission had offered many "valuable solutions" to the city's crime problems, particularly in the area of community policing, Mr McDowell said he was not convinced by the argument for a board. The board was proposed by the commission to "enhance democratic policing and promote best practice in crime reduction".

Measures to be introduced in the Garda Síochána Bill, due to be debated in the Dáil this Thursday, would more appropriately address this issue, he said.

"The matter of a policing board is something I have examined before and it's a solution I'm not particularly enamoured with," Mr McDowell said.