Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Ó Caoláin asked me a number of questions and it will be impossible to answer all of them. As I said earlier, I offer my profound sympathies at this terrible time to the community and to those who are directly related to Adrian and Ciara Dunne.

We discussed the tragedy this morning and agreed in principle to set up an independent inquiry to examine the full circumstances of this case. The nature and terms of reference of that inquiry will be decided as soon as the facts of the events have been established. The Minister of State at the Office of the Minister for Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has sought a report from the Health Service Executive and a meeting will take place later today between the Office of the Minister and the HSE. In so far as the Garda Síochána is concerned, the Garda Commissioner has appointed a senior officer from outside the area to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy from its point of view. We should allow both these investigations to be conducted and take care that we do not rush to judgment about the case with the luxury of hindsight and in the absence of all the information. I do not want to add to the grief of the families and the communities involved by going into the details of a situation on which the information is incomplete.

We know from the HSE's preliminary report that as late as midday on Friday a public health nurse visited the family for a routine development check-up of the children and had no concerns regarding the family. The HSE has also stated that it had no child protection concerns in respect of the family. I do not want to comment any further until the facts are fully known.

On the broader question asked by Deputy Ó Caoláin with regard to the appropriate level of child welfare generally, the HSE's primary aim is to provide child welfare and protection services within the family context, with the option of taking children into care considered as a last resort. The circumstances of each individual case are investigated with the aim of providing the necessary support and care at any given time. The question of appropriate levels of intervention in families where concerns about risks are expressed is extremely complex and difficult. Over the past year or two, we have debated that issue in this House in regard to other cases. In the case under discussion, the HSE has provided a counselling service.

Many other issues arise in regard to the wider question. These include issues that have arisen in other cases, in respect of which a working group is almost finished its report. There has been a large increase in staffing levels in these areas. Issues also arise with regard to out-of-hours services and in other areas which I may address later.

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