Report on child deaths in HSE care may not be published until February

THE Government has admitted it could be February next before the conclusions of a review of deaths in children in HSE care are published.

The Child Death Review panel, consisting of child law expert Geoffrey Shannon and Barnardos’ Norah Gibbons, were appointed early this year to review the deaths of children in HSE care in the past 10 years.

In September last, Minister for Children Barry Andrews said the panel would have completed their work by the end of the year. However, a spokesperson for the minister’s department confirmed yesterday it could be late January or February before the report was finalised.

Mr Shannon and Ms Gibbons were to be joined by a third person appointed from overseas but this has not yet happened. Mr Andrews has stressed the appointment would only be made towards the end of the process.

It is understood the sheer volume of the files handed to the review group meant further time was needed. It is also understood that, in some cases, the file relating to a child who died in care may be contained within larger, family files, containing all data to do with any siblings who may also have been in the care system at any time.

There was also, reportedly, a delay at the beginning of the process over the transfer of files by the HSE to the group.

It had been revealed in May last that 37 children died in state care over the past decade.

In addition to the Review Panel, additional members are understood to have been added to a different group charged with looking at other deaths of children known to the social care system.