Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

On Thursday, 14 July 2011, a 47 year old woman received a sentence of 24 years for pleading guilty to the assault and ill-treatment of her eight children, two boys and six girls, over a seven-year period from 2002 to 2009. The final 16 years of the sentence were suspended. The Health Service Executive confirmed that it had knowledge of this from 2000 onwards. It became actively involved with the family in 2009, with a social worker working almost exclusively since that time with that family. A number of members of the family are now in the care of the HSE and the HSE has also confirmed that the case has been referred to a 15-person national review panel which is chaired by Dr. Helen Buckley of Trinity College, Dublin. The review panel was designed to create a standardised and systematic way of completing reviews of serious incidents such as this. The report of the review panel will be submitted by the HSE's national director for children and family services to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs as soon as it is completed. The HSE is actively involved at the moment in the provision of a multitude of services to this family. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is aware of the case and together with the Minister for Justice and Equality, will take this kind of situation into account in the drafting of the legislation following on the production of the children's rights issues published by the Minister this week.

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