I have read the comments of the Ombudsman for Children in respect of the perceived lack of institutional independence of the child death review panel established by the HSE. It is important to put the establishment of this panel in context. The death review mechanism precisely follows the HIQA Guidance for the Health Service Executive for the Review of Serious Incidents including Deaths of Children in Care. That guidance, according to HIQA, is intended to create a standard, unified, independent and transparent system for the review of serious incidents, including deaths of children in care in Ireland. The guidance outlines the purpose of national review, the national review panel and team and the review process. The guidance also addresses the timing of review, benchmarks for individual reviews, publication and external reporting and monitoring of the review process.

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