Convicted child abuser Bill Kenneally has died in prison while serving a 19-year sentence for the sexual abuse of boys in Waterford.
Kenneally, 75, died at Midlands Prison in the early hours of Thursday morning. He had spent more than a decade in custody and was not scheduled for release until 2030. Prison authorities confirmed he had been receiving palliative care due to a number of serious health conditions and was under the supervision of the prison healthcare team at the time of his death.
The Irish Prison Service confirmed that a person in custody had died at the facility. In line with standard procedures, the death will be examined by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons, and An Garda Síochána where appropriate, while the official cause of death will be determined by the Coroner's Office. Kenneally's next of kin have been informed.
His death comes days after the Government announced plans to offer a formal State apology to survivors of his abuse.
Earlier this week, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan confirmed that a memorandum would be brought before Cabinet to begin the process of issuing a comprehensive State apology to those affected by Kenneally's crimes.
The minister also publicly acknowledged serious failings in the original Garda investigation into allegations against Kenneally during the late 1980s.
Speaking after meeting survivors and their families, O'Callaghan said the investigation had been "wholly inadequate" and accepted findings that there had been a "clear dereliction of duty" by senior Garda officers involved in the case, namely Chief Superintendent Sean Cashman and Acting Superintendent PJ Hayes.
The comments followed the publication of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into the handling of allegations against Kenneally, one of the most significant child abuse cases ever uncovered in Ireland.
The commission concluded that while there was no evidence of widespread collusion by State authorities to prevent Kenneally's prosecution, failures to properly investigate allegations in 1987 and 1988 had devastating consequences for victims and allowed further abuse to occur.
The report also criticised former Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally, a cousin of the convicted abuser, for failing to contact child protection authorities after becoming aware of allegations in 2001.
Among its recommendations, the commission urged the Law Reform Commission to urgently examine the absence of a specific criminal offence of misconduct in public office. The recommendation has since been accepted by the Minister for Justice.
Following a meeting with survivors, their families and legal representatives, the Department of Justice reiterated the Government's commitment to recognising the harm suffered by victims.
A spokesperson for the minister said: "At this meeting, Minister O'Callaghan apologised to the victims for the wholly inadequate investigation by An Garda Síochána in 1987 and for the clear dereliction of duty by Chief Superintendent Cashman and Acting Superintendent Hayes."
The spokesperson added: "The minister confirmed that following his recent discussions with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, a Memorandum to Government will go to Cabinet shortly which will commence the formal process of offering Bill Kenneally's victims a full and formal apology by the State that they rightly deserve.
The Department also confirmed that the minister intends to prioritise a debate on the commission's final report in Dáil Éireann.
The spokesperson further stated: "The minister also told the victims that he had accepted the recommendation of Judge Michael White to refer to the Law Reform Commission for assessment on whether misconduct in public office should be established as a separate statutory offence."
The publication of the commission's findings and the planned State apology mark a significant step in acknowledging the failures that allowed Kenneally's abuse to continue for years and the lasting impact those failures had on victims and their families.
