Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said Ireland needs to reflect and evaluate on murder-suicides in light of the Kerry tragedy stating “we can’t ignore events like this.”
Mr Martin was speaking in Co Cavan on Thursday and said the number of murder-suicides in the country is a “significant worry.”
His comments come as Gardaí continue their investigation into the horrific circumstances surrounding the shooting of Eileen O’Sullivan, her son James and her partner Mossie O’Sullivan.
Mr Martin was asked if gun ownership in Ireland should be examined given the number of murder-suicides in the country recently.
The Fianna Fáil leader said his “deepest sympathies” go to the family of those who have been killed in Lixnaw, Co Kerry.
He said: “These are devastating events and the enormity of them is quite shocking.
“I do think we need to evaluate and reflect on this but I’d like to hear the full analysis from all authorities in different disciplines within the gardai and get a sense of what happened here.
“It has happened elsewhere as well in the country in recent times and it is a very significant worry.
“So I do think we need to reflect on that and learn lessons and then apply it in a number of areas.
“I don’t want to preempt what happened here but I think we can’t ignore events like this.”
