A fire at a house in Co Offaly in which two people died was “designed to kill inhabitants”, the Irish justice minister has said.

A murder investigation has been launched after the deaths of a woman and a child at a house on Castleview Park in Edenderry at around 7.45pm on Saturday.

The victims have been named as four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and Mary Holt, aged 60.

Another woman, aged in her 50s, is being treated in hospital for her injuries.

Post-mortem examinations were to be carried out on Sunday.

Superintendent Liam Geraghty said at the weekend that they believe the house was attacked by a person or persons unknown at this time and that the fire was deliberately started.

He described it as a “reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home”.

On Monday, Justice Minister Jim

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