Brian Stack's family 'badly failed' by garda investigation into prison officer's murder, Taoiseach says

Brian Stack was shot in the neck on March 25, 1983, while returning to his car in the South Circular Road area of Dublin.

It is “plainly and utterly unacceptable” that potential evidence related to the murder of prison officer Brian Stack cannot be found by gardaí, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin has made a formal apology to the family of Brian Stack, who was shot by the Provisional IRA in Dublin in 1983 and died 18 months later.

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Martin said Mr Stack and his family were “badly failed” by the investigation into his killing,

The Taoiseach pointed to errors admitted by former Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in 2019, including a failure by gardaí to maintain a map of the crime scene, failure to keep a motorbike helmet linked to the crime, and a failure to retain evidence including fingerprints and other samples.

“It is admitted by An Garda Síochána that these are serious matters that had an impact on the investigation," Mr Martin said. The Taoiseach also said there were failures by gardaí to interview the Stack family as well as Mr Stack’s wider group of friends.

Mr Martin said while gardaí had a “strong suspicion” of IRA involvement in Mr Stack’s murder, they did not find a definitive link in either the original investigation or the 2008 re-investigation.

He added this only came after investigations by his sons, Austin and Oliver Stack, who had the IRA’s involvement confirmed by a former IRA commander in 2013.

The Taoiseach said the failings by gardaí raised “legitimate concerns about how the investigation was conducted and whether it was done competently”.

This is an inherently unfair position to place the Stack family in, and today I also apologise for this.

Mr Martin said live lines of enquiry into Mr Stack’s murder remain ongoing and gardaí are “making every effort to bring those responsible to justice”.

Speaking for Sinn Féin, Pearse Doherty said the shooting of Mr Stack was wrong and “it should never have happened”.

“His family suffered a terrible loss. The failures in the investigations compounded that suffering and left them seeking answers over many decades. We cannot presume to understand their grief.

Mr Doherty said no apology “can restore Brian Stack’s life” or return the years spent by his family seeking answers.

“As an Irish republican, I believe that building a better future requires us to face the past with honesty. People from all walks of life and every background suffered through the actions of British State forces, republicans, including the IRA and Unionist paramilitaries.

“The hurt caused by republican actions must be acknowledged, and that suffering cannot be disowned. I am sorry for all the lives lost during the period of conflict on this island, without exception.”

• Tadgh McNally, political reporter