CLARE TD, Michael McNamara (IND) has said there has been a cover-up by the State into the death of Ballyvaughan native Caitriona Lucas.
41-year-old advanced coxswain, Catriona Lucas, an experienced member of Doolin Coast Guard and mother of two, died after the Kilkee Coast Guard Delta rigid inflatable boat she was crewing capsized during a search for a missing man on September 12, 2016.
A verdict of death by misadventure was returned at the inquest in Kilmallock last week. The jury was told it wasn’t open to them to give a verdict of an unlawful killing.
Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy McNamara called for a statutory inquiry into the death of the popular librarian. He stated, “The case contained a number of very disturbing features, I think the Coast Guard and the Department have a lot of questions to answer. I asked parliamentary questions about evidence that appeared to be missing, that wasn’t answered on the basis there was an inquest on yet the coroner at the conclusion of the inquest noted that that evidence was still missing. The Coast Guard delayed the investigation by the HSA arguing that the volunteers who are putting their lives on were not employees and therefore the HSA has no remit to investigate”.
“The family were very critical of successive Ministers of Transport including yourself Minister Donohoe for failing to implement safety recommendations in 2012. When you’re around a while you begin to recognise a cover-up and a State cover-up has a particular whiff, this stinks. Will you organise a statutory inquiry into the death of Caitriona Lucas to make sure this never happens to another volunteer in Ireland,” McNamara added.
Responding, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (FG) commented, “I’m familiar with the sad death of Ms Lucas, I remember it happening very well, I really want to extend my condolences to her family and friends in the community and the other Coast Guard volunteers, I don’t know all the facts of this, the Coroner’s case and the Coroners act independently of Government, I’m not going to make commitments on the huff but I will certainly speak to Minister Ryan about it and ask him to reply directly”.
