Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Neville for raising this Adjournment matter and I welcome the opportunity to respond to it. In April 2007, the Government took the decision to convene an independent inquiry to examine the full circumstances of the tragic case of the Dunne family, whose bodies were discovered at their residence in Monageer, County Wexford. The three-member inquiry commenced its work in January 2008. Under its terms of reference, the inquiry was to deliver a report to the Minster for Health and Children and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform by 7 April 2008. The timeframe of the inquiry was extended on three occasions, and the report was finally submitted to both Ministers on 6 October 2008.

In establishing the inquiry, officials from the Office of the Minister of Children and Youth Affairs, OMCYA, were at all times cognisant of the need to provide the inquiry with all necessary assistance while at the same time recognising the need for the inquiry team to maintain its fundamental independence. Indeed, the independence of the inquiry team was seen as crucial in enabling it to fully carry out its task. The conduct of the inquiry was a matter for the inquiry team and the Department respected its independence in that regard.

A number of communications took place during the setting up phase of the inquiry between the chair and officials from the OMCYA to determine the requirements of the team and to ensure that these requirements were met to the fullest possible extent. A conscious decision was made at this time to allow the inquiry team to determine and specify its own requirements. No attempt was made to second guess the team's requirements as this could have been construed as an attempt to direct or otherwise influence the direction or outcome of the report.

It was open to the inquiry team, in determining its own programme of work, at any stage of its work to seek access to assistance in any field. On every occasion when the inquiry team sought such expertise it was made available to them. The inquiry team had in its membership legal, social work and policing expertise and this was considered entirely appropriate for the work of the inquiry when the three-person team was nominated. It is worth noting that the final version of the inquiry team's report presented to the Ministers for Health and Children and Justice, Equality and Law Reform contained no reference to any perceived lack of availability of expertise in any particular area, including mental health.

My office, in all of its dealings with the Monageer inquiry team, worked to support the inquiry through the provision of every possible assistance, while at the same time being cognisant of the team's independence in setting its own agenda in terms of completing its task. I note that the inquiry team made reference in its report to the increased incidence and need for review of familicide nationally and internationally. I understand that the HSE in late 2008 established a group headed by Mr. Geoff Day, director of the National Office for Suicide Prevention to examine this area.

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