Dead man’s family asked HSE for file seven times
A hearing at Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday into the death of Danny Talbot, who was aged 19 when he died in August last year, also heard that his father had concerns over the HSE’s role in a separate review of his death from a suspected drug overdose.
Junior Counsel Brian Barrington and solicitor Pól O Murchú are seeking to make the inquest into his death compliant with Article 2 of the UN Convention on Human Rights, which would then look at whether the HSE had a duty of care regarding Danny and whether this was breached.
The Dublin man had been in the care system from a young age and died at an apartment on Dublin’s Berkley Street.
Mr Barrington told the Coroner Dr Brian Farrell that Danny’s family had been in contact with Dr Helen Buckley of Trinity College Dublin, who chairs a review panel of 15 members set up under HIQA’s Guidance for the HSE. He said Dr Buckley had replied in detail on October 21 to questions from the family.
“It was clarified that there will be nobody who was a HSE employee on the review dealing with Danny’s case,” Mr Barrington said.
But there were concerns that the HSE will decide if and when any report by Dr Buckley’s group will be published, he said, particularly when there was a ‘reluctance’ by the HSE to publish other documents and the HSE itself might be under investigation.
Mr Barrington said the family believed the HSE has “too big and too controlling a role in this”. As for the file, he said: “We have written to the HSE seven times for the release of Danny’s file and we do not have a HSE position on that.”
Mr Barrington argued that the coroner was in a position to allow access to documents relating to Danny’s care and in the possession of Mr O Murchú.
Dr Farrell said this was a ‘novel’ approach but he would need time to consider whether he had jurisdiction in the case.
The matter will next be in court for mention on Thursday, November 25.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
