Bulk of HSE files on deaths pass to experts

MOST of the HSE files regarding the deaths of children in the care system have been passed to the experts charged with reviewing their deaths, it is understood.

It is also believed that all the files regarding the deaths of children known to social services, but not necessarily in the care of the HSE when they died, will be passed to the Independent Review Group by the middle of September.

Those files involve a much larger group of children, including those who were accessing aftercare services having turned 18, and are now included in the transfer of files after a change to the terms of reference under which it is operating.