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Mr Michael Crotty, with an address at Slí Aonghusa, Áras na Rí, Cashel, Co Tipperary, has pleaded guilty to a charge at the Special Criminal Court Dublin.
Mr Crotty had initially pleaded not guilty to helping the Kinahan organised crime group shoot dead Mr Noel Kirwan, latter a father of four in driveway of his home at St Ronan’s Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin just three days before Christmas, in 2016.
The 42-year-old Mr Crotty has now admitted to facilitating the buying a mobile top-up for Mr Sean McGovern, latter a leading member of the aforementioned international crime gang. The latter Mr McGovern, a significant figure within the Kinahan criminal organisation, is understood to be currently residing in Dubai.
The court heard that Mr Kirwan who had absolutely no involvement in criminality, was mistakenly thought to have been connected to the murder of Mr David Byrne, at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A tracker device had been placed on Mr Kirwan’s motor vehicle, which was being monitored from an apartment in the Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, Dublin 18.
Three unregistered prepaid mobile phones are understood to have been used during the murder of Mr Kirwan.
Mr Declan Brady (known as “Mr Nobody” who already pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possessing nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and 1,355 rounds of ammunition, located at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, County Dublin), together with Mr Martin Alymer (latter who previously pleaded guilty to procuring mobile phones, which contributed to the murder of Mr Kirwan in 2016, and to a similar offence in relation to the attempted murder of alleged Hutch gang lieutenant, Mr James ‘Mago’ Gately), have already pleaded guilty to their involvement in the crime.
Mr Crotty has now pleaded guilty to the new charge, under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act; admitting that between October 20th, 2016 and December 22nd, 2016, on both dates inclusive and within the State, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, did participate in, or contribute to, activity intending to, or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that criminal organisation or any of its membership.
Judge Ms Caroline Biggs has now extended Mr Crotty’s bail and adjourned the case to April 22nd, next for sentencing.
  
- Botswana and Algeria added to Safe Country list – applicants from these countries will receive a decision in less than 10 weeks.
- Expedited processing for applicants who already have refugee status also introduced.
- International Protection Office now making 1,000 decisions per month.
As we stated earlier this morning, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee T.D. has this lunchtime updated her Cabinet colleagues on a range of measures which have and will continue to speed up international protection application processing times.
From tomorrow, Botswana and Algeria will be designated safe countries of origin for the purpose of making a claim for international protection in the state. The existing list of safe countries includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa.
Under an accelerated decision making process introduced by the Minister in November 2022, applications from safe countries are currently receiving decisions in less than 90 days.
While people from safe countries are still entitled to apply for international protection and have their application considered thoroughly, they will have to submit serious grounds that the country is not safe in terms of their personal circumstances.
On this point, Minister McEntee said: “My priority is that those who are in need of International protection receive it quickly, and those who are not entitled to it are removed from the system quickly too. This is the hallmark of a robust and rules based immigration system.
Given the difference the accelerated procedure I introduced in late 2022 has had already, I do expect the addition of Botswana and Algeria to have an immediate impact. Cases from those countries designated as safe are currently receiving a decision in less than 10 weeks and applications from people from those countries are down by 38%.
I must emphasise however that an application by a person from a safe country still receives a full consideration on its merit by the International Protection Office. We have seen that in the current list of safe countries, there are still grants in cases where people can show that their personal circumstances mean that their country is not safe for them.”
The Minister also noted new expedited processes for people who apply for international protection in Ireland having already been granted protection status in another EU state: “In July 2022, I introduced a visa requirement for those travelling here on convention travel documents to reduce the number of people claiming international protection when they already have it elsewhere.
To reinforce this, I have also informed Government today of the introduction of an expedited procedure for inadmissible applications by people who already have been granted protection in the EU”.
The Minister also updated the Government in relation to the modernisation process currently underway at the IPO and the subsequent progress on processing international protection applications.
Following significant investment in staff, reengineered processes and technology, the IPO almost doubled the decisions made in 2023, compared to 2022.
Over the course of the last year, the International Protection Office increased the number of monthly determinations to over 1,000 in November 2023, and plans to deliver at least 14,000 decisions in 2024, a further increase of 5,000 cases.
The Minister added: “The International Protection system currently undergoing a significant modernisation programme to ensure it is agile, robust and fully resourced to meet the unprecedented increase in applications in recent years.
Investments to date have significantly improved processing times. Most impressively, there has been a doubling of decisions made in 2023 from the year before.
Over the course of 2024 we aim to even further increase capacity and processing times.
This is all with the aim of ensuring that those who have a right to international protection are given that status as quickly as possible, whilst those who are found to not have that right are removed from the system as quickly as possible too.”
The Minister also today updated Government on the imminent adoption of the Immigration and Asylum Pact at EU level.
The Minister concluded: “The challenges presented by migration and asylum cannot be effectively addressed by any state acting alone in an increasingly globalised and interdependent world. The Pact seeks to establish a more coherent approach across the EU to migration, asylum, integration and border management, fit for the fast moving world of the 21st century.
The Pact aims to provide swift, sustainable and fair procedures for the management of migration and asylum in the EU. It provides for faster and more efficient processing of applications, new accelerated procedures, and a faster returns process.
I am undertaking intensive work to be in a position to advise Government on the implications of opting-in to the Pact. I will bring a recommendation to Government before the end of March”.
Review Of Safe Countries Of Origin In Context Of International Protection To Be Announced Today.
The Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee TD is expected to announce the outcome of a review of Safe Countries of Origin in the context of international protection this afternoon at 1:00pm.
A safe country of origin is defined as a country where, on the basis of the legal situation; the application of the law within a democratic system: the general political circumstances, it can be shown that there is generally and consistently no persecution; [as defined in Directive 2011/95/EU (Recast Qualification Directive)], no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.
The announcement of the outcome of review of safe countries of origin, will be made at the Courtyard, Government Buildings, Merrion St. Upper, Dublin 2, [D02 R583].
- Internal governance within An Garda Síochána to be enhanced, with the establishment of a new Garda Board.
- Applications sought for Chairperson and eight ordinary board members.
The Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee TD has today encouraged suitably qualified candidates to submit expressions of interest for membership of the new Garda Board.
A State Boards process to appoint a chairperson and ordinary members to the new Board has opened today. It will close at 3:00pm on Thursday February 15th next, 2024, and further details regarding the positions can be found HERE.
This new board is provided for in the ‘Policing Security and Community Safety (PSCS) Bill‘, which passed all stages of the Seanad on January 24th last. The Bill provides that the members of the Garda Board will be appointed by the Minister for Justice, from persons recommended by the Public Appointments Service as suitable, following an open selection process.
Speaking today about the establishment of the new Board, Minister McEntee stated: “The formation of this Board is a very important component of the new legislation. It will strengthen the management and internal governance of An Garda Síochána.
It will not have any role in relation to operational matters, as is the case with such boards generally. However it reflects the fact that a non-executive board is a corporate governance standard in the public and private sectors”.
The Bill has been developed based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and will provide a new coherent governance and oversight framework for policing that will strengthen An Garda Síochána.
The establishment of the new Garda Board is an important element of this new framework.
The Board will be a non-executive governance board, comprised of a chairperson and eight ordinary members, with a range of important governance functions. Membership will comprise independent-minded, experienced professionals in their respective fields.
The new board, through the corporate and governance expertise and external perspective of its members, will provide practical support along with a robust, constructive challenge to the senior leadership team in An Garda Síochána.
The Minister continued: “An Garda Síochána is carrying out some of the most critical functions of the State.
This Board will support it to anticipate and respond to changes in the ways in which policing will need to be delivered in the coming decades. It will also provide assurance to the Minister of the day, in relation to internal governance and risk management and mitigation.
The Board will also support the Garda Commissioner by ensuring that the organisation has the most appropriate systems, processes and procedures in place to deliver a top class policing service in the State. It is not a however a substitute for robust external oversight of An Garda Síochána, and will in no way dilute the work of the new external oversight body to be established under the Bill – the Policing and Community Safety Authority – which will build on the good work done by the Policing Authority and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate”.
The Garda Commissioner will continue to be required to keep the Minister and the Secretary General of the Department informed of significant matters, and to account to the Minister and Government for the provision of policing and security services by An Garda Síochána.
The Minister further highlighted the importance of this new Board, which will be accountable to the Minister for its performance, and she has encouraged people with relevant experience and expertise to apply for these important roles.
A number of licensed firearms, including at least one rifle, together with ammunition, has been seized by gardaí as part of their ongoing investigations into the shooting of a soccer player, who sustained a gunshot wound on the field of play, during a match held in Rearcross, Co Tipperary on January 6th 2024.
The injured male victim had been playing for ‘Rearcross FC’ against ‘Ballymackey FC’, in a Junior B match in Division 2 of the Tipperary and District League, latter being held under floodlights; when the shooting incident happened. Paramedics had treated the man at the scene, before he was later removed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, (UHL) to have the projectile removed.
Gardaí have confirmed that an informant had spoken to Nenagh, Gardaí in Co. Tipperary, thus helping them with their investigations into this regrettable incident.
The firearms and ammunition seized will now be sent to the Garda Ballistics Section located in Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, for further testing; thus ascertaining if the weapon and ammunition used match the bullet retrieved from the injured player’s arm.
Investigating Gardaí in Nenagh District had suspected that the matter was the result of a freak accident and that the man was hit by a stray bullet from a hunter’s rifle. For this reason, to date, no arrests have been made, but Gardaí now feel that they are following a definite line of enquiry.
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