LUCIA O’FARRELL, the mother of hit-and-run victim Shane O’Farrell, has pushed back on presidential candidate Heather Humphreys’ claim that she “did everything she could” for the O’Farrell family.

In 2011, 23-year-old Shane was cycling home when he was struck by a car driven by Zigimantas Gradzuiska in Co Monaghan. Gradzuiska, who had previous convictions for offences including aggravated burglary and road traffic offences, was out on bail at the time.

For years, his family have campaigned for answers about how and why Gradzuiska was at liberty the day Shane was killed in the hit-and-run.

Earlier this year, Shane’s family received a State apology with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan telling the family the justice system did not protect Shane like it should have. 

Shane's sister Hannah, father Jim, mother Lucia, sisters Gemma , Aimee and Pia at Leinster House for the State apology. Sasko Lazarov Sasko Lazarov

Humphreys was a local TD for Monaghan at the time of Shane’s death.

Last month, Shane’s mother Lucia told The Irish Times that she believes Humphreys is “not capable of being the president for the people of Ireland, when she can’t represent her own people in Monaghan”.

O’Farrell said she was “terribly disappointed” that Humphreys did not support the family’s campaign for a public inquiry into failings in the criminal justice system surrounding Shane’s death.

Speaking on LMFM last week, Humphreys was asked about O’Farrell’s remarks and said she was “sorry if Lucia felt that I didn’t do enough. I can honestly say I did my best.”

On Sunday, during a debate on RTÉ Radio 1, Humphreys was again asked about O’Farrell’s remarks. 

In response, Humphreys said she did speak to Lucia O’Farrell “a good few years ago” and that she “did make representations for Lucia on that case”. 

“When I was finished the phone call with her, there were tears in my eyes because of what happened to her son,” Humphreys said.

She added: 

“I did make representations to the relevant ministers at the time, and as I said, I’m glad she has got a state apology.”

Speaking to The Journal, Lucia O’Farrell said her family did not receive support from Humphreys and that if that was Humphreys doing her “best”, then her best is “very poor”.

“I do not accept that she did her best,” O’Farrell said.

“Our family doesn’t belong to any political party, and in our search for truth and justice for Shane, we have met good people from every party.

“However, in view of the horrific death of our only son, Shane, we naively thought that we would have support from our local Fine Gael TD, Heather Humphreys, but we didn’t get it,” she said.

O’Farrell added:

“As a Minister for Justice, she had great power. She did nothing for us. It was a hands-off response by Heather Humphreys.”

O’Farrell said she wrote to Humphreys, while she was still a TD, a year before Shane’s family received the State apology, but did not receive an acknowledgement or reply to the correspondence.

“I sent it by email and a hard copy to her constituency office, with proof of postage,” O’Farrell said.

Humphreys has never raised the case of Shane O’Farrell during her 13 years in Dáil Éireann or submitted any parliamentary questions in relation to his death. She did respond to questions about the case while acting as Justice Minister during Helen McEntee’s maternity leave.

The Journal has contacted Humphreys’ campaign team to clarify what the presidential candidate meant when she said she made representations to the relevant ministers.

During her live interview with RTÉ One’s Katie Hannon tonight, Humphreys said that as a minister, she wasn’t in a position to put in parliamentary questions. 

“But also, as Minister for Justice, I wasn’t in a position to interfere in an independent process that was being headed up by the Judge Haughton at the time. I didn’t want to derail that process by interfering in it,” she said, referring to her six months as Justice Minister in 2021.

She added: 

But can I just say, I am sorry if she feels that I didn’t do enough for her. I’ve always tried to help everybody that came through my door.”