Unlikely authorities could have prevented family deaths, says Monageer report

A report into the deaths of the Dunne family in Co Wexford has found that the tragedy would not have been avoided even if gardaí or social services had called to the family home.

Adrian Dunne took his own life after strangling his 24-year-old wife Ciara and smothering his two daughters, five-year-old Leanne and three-year-old Shania, in their home in Monageer in April 2007.

Gardaí, health workers and local priests were alerted when Mr Dunne was driven by his wife to a funeral directors 20 miles away in New Ross to make funeral arrangements for the couple and their children.

The inquiry team found that Adrian Dunne was a complex character who had been responsible for the isolation of his family.

Whilst criticising the lack of out-of-hours social services in Co Wexford, it found that “even if gardaí or social services had called to the Dunne family home during the course of the weekend, it is likely that the tragedy would not have been averted given Adrian and Ciara Dunnes’s capacity to provide a plausible explanation for their bizarre funeral plans.”

The inquiry team said they did not discover any single motive behind the tragedy, but highlighted Mr Dunne’s controlling and dominant influence within the family.

It also found Mrs Dunne’s docile, childlike nature may have made her compliant to her husband’s wishes.

Elsewhere, it flagged up the couple’s mounting debts and recent deaths in Mr Dunne’s family.

Children’s Minister Barry Andrews said the purpose of publishing the report was not for public curiosity but to learn if their deaths could have been prevented.

He admitted there were gaps in the system, but said new proposals had been published for out-of-hours social work services.

The Department of Health has said it will not be setting up a 24-hour out-of-hours social care service.

“Research that's gone into this area shows that it's almost impossible to prevent,” Minister for Children Barry Andrews said.

“Nevertheless the circumstances that led to this - particularly immediately before these tragic deaths - provide us with a very good insight into certain changes that need to be made in the HSE, and among all of us that have a responsibility for child protection.”