The family of a woman murdered in Longford in 2007 have said they accept they have "failed" to overturn a decision to repatriate the man convicted of the murder to a prison in the Czech Republic.
The news was confirmed to the family in an email from the Department of Justice.
The family say they are extremely hurt that David Brozovsky was repatriated the day before Sharon Coughlan would have celebrated her birthday.
Her sister, Caran Coughlan, said the news could not have come at a worse time for the family.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter confirmed yesterday that Brozovsky had been repatriated and would serve out the remainder of his term in a prison located in his native country.
Caran Coughlan told RTÉ's Morning Ireland they are devastated that the minister decided to approve the repatriation.
They say they are totally opposed to the move, and they could not stand behind anything that the man who murdered their sister requests.
Caran said that Sharon's two children will today visit her grave to mark her birthday, and it hurt them to think that as they did that Brozovsky would be sitting in a jail in the Czech Republic.
She said it was hard enough to have to deal with Sharon's birthday any year, but news of the repatriation had made things much worse.
The Coughlan family say assurances David Brozovsky will serve out his term under a more harsh prison regime in the Czech Republic mean little to them.
Caran Coughlan said she accepts prisoners have rights under international conventions, but she said her sister had not been shown the same justice as the man who murdered her.
The family thanked people who had supported them, and the 5,000 people who signed a petition that was presented to the Taoiseach in recent weeks.
