Laois TD speaks in the Dáil over death of Camross native Joe Drennan

A Laois TD called for sentencing changes during a debate in the Dáil on Thursday.  

Independent Republican TD Brian Stanley raised the issue during a discussion on road safety last Thursday. 

“Joe Drennan, a young man who came from the town of Camross near Mountrath, was mowed down at a bus stop in Limerick on 13 October 2023,” he said. 

Kieran Fogarty(21),  of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, the man responsible for Joe’s death, was sentenced to six and a half years for dangerous driving causing death. However, the Drennan family started their campaign because the judge ruled that the sentence was to run concurrently-at the same time- as an eight year sentence he was given for a firearms offence. 

“There has been a major campaign over the past few weeks since the judge handed down the sentence. Thankfully, that has changed. The Director of Public Prosecutions has been lobbied intensely on it. There was a large protest march in Mountrath last Sunday and another one is planned for Camross this coming Sunday,” said Dep Stanley.  

He said “the DPP is now going to appeal the decision, which is welcome. Hopefully, it will be successful but we need to change the nonsense of concurrent sentences as opposed to consecutive sentences. There cannot be a complete overlap. That is the problem here,” he told the Dáil. 

“I am appealing to the Minister of State, who is a new Minister, to take this on board, speak to his colleagues in Government about it and put a proper framework for sentencing in place. It is key. Marguerite and Tim Drennan, who are the parents of this young man, are looking for that. I am begging the Minister of State to do this, as are other people around the country. We need to change that,” said Dep Stanley. 

The Drennan family’s campaign is continuing and they have an online petition which people can sign to support. 

If the DPP appeal succeeds they will still have to wait to find out what sentence is imposed on the man who was found guilty of dangerous driving causing Joe’s death. 

The family are keen that other families shouldn’t have to endure the same ordeal and have vowed to continue to campaign for a change in sentencing for serious cases. 

They are holding a gathering in Camross this Sunday at 12 noon.