Private prosecution against Sinn Féin TD in Louth

An unsuccessful election candidate, David Carroll, is trying to start a private criminal case against Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú. Carroll previously ran as an Independent in the Louth constituency and received only 40 votes. He brought his case to Dundalk District Court, claiming that Ó Murchú was involved in the theft of property and services worth €7,000 on February 12 in the Dundalk area. However, details of this claim were not provided during the court session. Ó Murchú was not present at the hearing. His solicitor, Ciarán Hughes, requested that the summons against him be dismissed. He argued that private citizens do not have the authority to initiate criminal summonses. According to Hughes, only the police (An Garda Síochána) or the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) can bring such actions to court. Judge Nicola Andrews, who authorized the summons, indicated that Hughes could present his arguments at a later date. Hughes emphasized that allowing private citizens to prosecute others would undermine the criminal justice system. Carroll questioned how high-profile cases, like that of Conor McGregor, could proceed if private prosecutions are not allowed. The court staff clarified to him that such cases are civil matters, not criminal. The judge postponed the case until May 7 for further submissions and discussions. She expressed concern about whether the summons was issued in error and who could correct it if that were the case.