Andrews condemns FG move to publish teen’s death report
But the delay did not excuse Fine Gael’s decision to publish it ahead of the Government, he insisted.
“In publishing the report into the death, Alan Shatter and Fine Gael have steamrolled over the privacy of the children and family members of the deceased,” he said.
Fine Gael took the unprecedented step yesterday of placing the report, TF – A Case Review 1983 to 2002, before both Houses of the Oireachtas.
Mr Shatter said he received a copy of the report from an unidentified source and believed it was in the public interest that it was published.
He pointed out that it had taken six years after Tracey Fay’s death for the report to be finalised.
“It is inexcusable, in a democratic society, that the systemic failures that resulted in her death be covered up for so long,” he said.
He also accused Mr Andrews of reneging on his promise last October to fully publish the report. Mr Andrews insisted there was no suppression of the report, no cover up.
He said the Health Service Executive had been unable to share the full content with the girl’s mother before publication because she was ill.
Mr Andrews said be believed a parent had a right to learn of the circumstances of their child’s death before reading it in the newspapers.
“I think the publication of the report was an ambush. It was carefully choreographed to try to cause embarrassment,” he said.
Mr Andrews said the 18-year-old, who was in the care of the Eastern Health Board, was failed by the system and special care was now available to children who present with the complex needs apparent in her case.
“While we can’t guarantee that there will not be tragedies in relation to children in care, or child abuse, we have taken substantial steps to try and improve our child welfare protection service.”
Mr Andrews also said the HSE had taken action to implement all of the report’s 47 recommendations.
He pointed out that the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) was providing guidance for the HSE on deaths in care.
Mr Andrews said the HSE and Irish Youth Justice Service would develop a panel of appropriately skilled professionals to undertake investigations quickly and publish them.
The Children’s Rights Alliance warned that there would be an erosion of children’s rights without responsible reporting.
Mr Shatter said it was not in the public interest that a parent who had so failed her child should be entitled to exercise a veto over the report’s publication.
“The report details the extent to which Tracey was failed by both her parents and the Eastern Health Board and documents abuse suffered by her,” he said.
He said it was unlikely that the parent would favour publication of a report that detailed in full the tragic background circumstances.
