Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am astonished at the Taoiseach's response. He is the Leader of the Government and political leader of the country. This information was promised to Deputy Alan Shatter on 5 March 2009. The Taoiseach himself is a former Minister for Health who supervised the introduction of the Children First child protection guidelines in 1999.

The Taoiseach has a dysfunctional Health Service Executive, HSE, and a Minister of State with special responsibility for children and youth affairs who is powerless. The Minister for Health and Children, sitting beside the Taoiseach, and her predecessor, Deputy Martin, and their Ministers of State were unable to acquire information about children who may have died in the care of the State. It is astonishing that the Taoiseach, himself, a former Minister for Health, does not have this information accurately. We have the Department of Health and Children and the HSE hiding behind process and reports.

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