Taoiseach denies ‘cover-up’ of deaths in care

CLAIMS the Government is trying to “cover up” the truth regarding the number of children who have died in state care were rejected yesterday by the Taoiseach.

The angry denial came as opposition leaders dismissed Brian Cowen’s explanation that emergency legislation would be needed to force the Health Service Executive (HSE) to hand vital information over to a Government probe trying to establish the exact figure of deaths. Estimates range from 23 to 200.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Government was either incompetent or engaged in a cover-up as existing legislation should allow him to say definitively how many youngsters died in state care.