Care-deaths panel issues warning over workload

A group set up last year to review deaths and serious incidents involving children in care finds it “virtually impossible” to carry out its work.

The National Review Panel warned it was being swamped and was already struggling to cope with the scale of inquiries into cases including killings and sex abuse.

In its first annual report, it said original estimates suggested it would have to deal with two deaths and up to five serious incidents every year.

But the panel disclosed it was charged with investigating 22 deaths and eight serious incidents during its first nine months up and running alone last year.

It has described timelines enforced on it to complete reviews as “un-workable” and raised the possibility of only assessing certain cases.

The report states: “With such a large and unanticipated volume of cases the question must be raised, at this very early juncture, is it necessary, or even beneficial, for every case to be reviewed?”

Of the 30 cases brought before the panel between March and December last year, 12 remained under review by the end of the year.

The National Review Panel said it has to look at children in care but also those who are ``known to services''.

It also examines the deaths of young adults, up to 21 years of age, who were in the care of the Health Service Executive immediately before turning 18 or had been receiving aftercare services.

The panel has been asked to review 51 cases, among them 35 deaths, since being set up in March last year.

Three of the deaths involved children in care, 20 related to children known to protection services and 12 to young adults.

Just 11 of the overall 51 reviews have been completed, with 22 described as being actively under review.