Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children released its annual child death review. The document is harrowing and heartbreaking. It serves as a strong condemnation of the Government’s inaction and a serious call to action.

When a child dies in tragic and unnatural circumstances, families are left in a state of uncertainty, grappling with grief and unanswered questions. In one case, the family of a boy who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while under the care of the child and adolescent mental health services were forced to wait for over ten years for a report, which they said left them with no real answers. Our existing review mechanisms are so fragmented, lack the statutory power needed to compel co-operation and are so unable to gather comprehensive data that they may as well not exist. This is unacceptable.

We have seen the benefits for such mechanisms in other countries. In England, the child death review overview panels have significantly improved the understanding of child fatalities and have led to targeted interventions that save lives. In Ireland, we have the national paediatric mortality register but it is not enough. We need a robust statutory mechanism that can systematically review all child deaths, identify preventable factors, has the powers to obtain the information it needs and can ensure that lessons are learned and applied where necessary. I urge the Government to act swiftly and establish a statutory national child death review mechanism. The report highlights that 1,490 children died unnaturally last year alone. It is urgent we begin the serious work to reduce those numbers.