Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

According to my information, and subject to correction, the Minister of State indicated there were 23 cases of children who had died in care, had recently reached the age of 18 and were known to the child protection services. The important point is that yesterday he asked the board of the HSE to validate the list of all relevant cases at the earliest opportunity.

He has established an independent group to examine the results of completed reviews of deaths of children in care since 2000. This group currently consists of Ms Norah Gibbons and Mr. Geoffrey Shannon and a third person of international standing will be appointed following consultation with the aforementioned appointees. They are being asked to examine existing information on the deaths of children in care so as to validate the categorisation of those children who died from natural causes. In respect of children who died from other than natural causes, they are being asked to examine existing reviews and reports completed by the HSE and, based on this information, to provide an overall report for publication.

The Minister of State wants key summary information on an anonymous basis in respect of each child and the circumstances leading to his or her death, focusing in particular on the relevant involvement of State services with the child and his or her family and examining the strengths and weaknesses of such involvement. In so far as learning can be identified, including common issues, the group is being asked to make recommendations on how child protection responses can be strengthened and, if considered useful, to comment on the nature of the reports or reviews available to it. Work will commence as soon as the Roscommon inquiry is completed and the report will be presented to the Minister of State, who will lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas and publish it.

This is an important issue that needs to be addressed in the public interest. The group will be asked to indicate at an early stage its schedule for completing its work and to provide regular updates on its progress.

See this speech in context