Body may be given full Monageer report

THE option of giving unedited copies of the Monageer tragedy to an Oireachtas committee is being considered, Health Minister Mary Harney has said.

The minister, who said further legal advice was being sought on the matter, stressed that the Government would prefer to publish the report in full.

Using Oireachtas committees as a means of highlighting the report is being considered because members of such committees have privilege on what they can say.

“I would love to publish it in full. I have read it all and, obviously, I have to say it is very harrowing,” Ms Harney told reporters.

The minister said there was no question of censorship of the report but parts had been omitted on legal advice. “Unfortunately, we were not able to because of the advice of the Attorney General and outside senior counsel advice was sought in relation to that matter,” she said.

Adrian, 29, and Ciara Dunne, 24, were found dead, along with their children Leanne, 5, and Shania, 3, at their home in Monageer, Co Wexford, in April 2007. The man had hanged himself, his wife was strangled and the two girls had been suffocated.

Asked what could be learned from the report, Ms Harney said no matter what supports were in place, a tragedy like the one that occurred in Monageer could not be avoided.

She pointed out that from June 1 gardaí would be able to take children in danger from their home and place them in care provided by the Health Service Executive on an emergency basis.

Ms Harney pointed out that in time there would be a move towards providing a 24-hour social work service but the country had not yet reached a point where that was possible.

“We are talking about a small number of cases that might arise and, certainly in the context of the resources that are available, we have got to put an appropriate service in place,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, Ms Harney urged medical leaders to support a change process that would provide the most cost-effective and top-class cancer service.

Ms Harney, who was speaking at the 7th International Cancer Conference in St James’s Hospital, urged greater integration and more co-ordination in the delivery of the service.

Cancer control director Prof Tom Keane, who also addressed the conference, said he would be announcing an annual competition for hospitals next year to encourage the adoption of best practice in regard to the implementation of the cancer control programme.