Shatter to force Minister to account for deaths of children in care

Fine Gael National Press Office Press Statement
Leinster House Contact: Alan Shatter TD
Dublin 2 Joanne Lonergan Children
Ireland 01 6183858 / 087 2379458

Thursday, 5 March 2009

Shatter to force Minister to account for deaths of children in care

Fine Gael Children Spokesperson, Alan Shatter TD, will today (Thursday) call the Minister for Children to account in the Dáil for the deaths of children in care and ask that he explains what steps the Government is taking to protect children at risk.

Deputy Shatter is also going to ask the Minister to explain why he does not know whether any children have died during the last 10 years having been reported as at risk to Health Boards or the HSE and why no such information was sought by him or by his predecessor prior to a Dáil Question tabled by Alan Shatter on 19 February 2009. Deputy Shatter has accused the Minister of trying to ignore these issues and abdicating his responsibility to act in the interests of children.

"Alarming figures published by the Irish Times recently suggest that 20 children have died in care in the last six years and, in the case of nine of these children, the cause of death was described as ‘medical issues' and no further details were provided. No automatic investigation is triggered when a child dies in care or when a child reported to be at risk dies in circumstances in which necessary intervention has not occurred. How are we to ensure that children are being protected when there is no system for learning from the tragic deaths of children who have been utterly failed by the State and for an independent investigation and automatic publication of a report into the circumstances of such deaths?

"I believe the Minister is wilfully ignoring the facts about children at risk and abdicating his responsibility for the deaths of children in care.
I am asking him to tell the Dáil:

the number of children who have died having been taken into care in the
last 10 years;
the number of children not taken into care who have died subsequent to a
report being made to either a health board or the HSE of such child
being at risk;
the Government's plan, if any, to ensure all such deaths are properly
investigated and a report made to this House within a reasonable time
frame of the circumstances surrounding such deaths and the action taken,
if any, to protect and safeguard the children concerned."

Note: Deputy Shatter will raise this matter on the Adjournment Debate in Dáil Éireann at 4.45pm

Ends

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