Full State apology sought by family of murdered Portlaoise Prison Officer

The family of Portlaoise Prison Officer Brian Stack will seek a full State apology when they meet Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan tomorrow. 

The Chief Prison Officer was shot after leaving a boxing match in Dublin in 1983. He died 18 months later from injuries sustained in the attack which was carried out by members of the Provisional IRA.   

His family are meeting with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan in relation to the investigation into the murder. 

The family said three separate garda investigations have taken place in relation to the murder and following a Cold Case review in 2009, the Serious Crime Review Team sent a report to the then Garda Commissioner detailing 198 inadequacies that they found with the original investigation.  

The most recent investigation also came in for criticism from the family who say information supplied by an informant was not passed to the investigation team by the garda intelligence service.  Following a meeting with Commissioner Drew Harris on July 10,  2019, the Commissioner issued a public apology to the family over the mishandling of garda investigations.  

After the publication of ‘Justice For My Father’, a book on the case by Mr Stack’s son and former Fianna Fail General Election 2024 candidate Austin Stack,  the family are now calling for a full State apology to the family.

Mr Stack has led the family campaign for justice. He  said “the gardai have admitted and apologised for the numerous serious errors in the original investigation and a mishandling of parts of the current investigation, however the State has failed to fully recognise this by not issuing a State apology”. 

“Our family has never been given access to the Cold Case Report that detailed 198 errors in the original investigation and we can only assume that this (is) because of the serious nature of what is included in that report”.  

According to Mr Stack,  “the Irish government have very publicly supported calls for justice and public inquiries in relation to many cases in Northern Ireland and it is only right and proper that the State now fully recognise its failings in relation to the murder of a man who was defending this State against terrorism at a crucial time in its history.”   

Mr Stack noted that the Garda Commissioner has apologised for failings. “The Irish Prison Service commended my dad’s bravery when it posthumously awarded him the Service’s highest bravery medal, and yet the State will not formally apologise to my mother and our family,” said Mr Stack. 

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In conclusion, he said, “I will be appealing to the good nature of the new Justice Minister to do the right thing and be the person to rectify this previous wrong.”