Watt: No evidence of Department of Health dossiers on vulnerable children

Newly appointed secretary-general to address Oireachtas Health Committee over Primetime allegations

Robert Watt will tell TDs and senators the department has never gathered sensitive medical and educational information on children in the manner portrayed by RTÉ. Picture: Gareth Chaney / Collins Photos

There is no evidence the Department of Health is prying on families or that it secretly compiling dossiers on children with autism, TDs and senators will hear on Wednesday.

Robert Watt, the newly appointed secretary-general at the department, is to inform the Oireachtas Health Committee that an independent review found no basis to the allegations contained in a recent RTÉ Primetime programme.

In the programme, whistleblower Shane Corr alleged that dossiers, which apparently included sensitive medical and educational information of children involved in dormant court cases, were compiled and maintained over a number of years by the Department of Health, allegedly without the knowledge or consent of the parents of those children.

However, Mr Watt will tell TDs and senators the department has never gathered sensitive medical and educational information on children in the manner portrayed by RTÉ.

He will say there is no evidence that the Department of Health was secretly compiling dossiers on children with austism as alleged.

He will also say that as a co-defendant in legal cases, the department may have documents on file that relate to those proceedings, including the pleadings and correspondence received from all parties including plaintiffs.

There is no evidence the department was prying on families or that it gathered information that was beyond instructions as part of the normal defence of a litigation case.

Mr Watt will also say there is no evidence that the department sought clinical reports on plaintiffs directly from clinicians.

The department is co-defendant in 230 cases, which date back to the 1990s and, of those, 29 remain open.

Following the RTÉ broadcast, Mr Watt set up a team to establish the facts surrounding specific allegations made in the programme, which was supported by three independent barristers.

Mr Watt acknowledges that the headlines generated have caused distress for some families and says the department appointed a liaison officer to engage with the 29 families who are still involved in the recent media allegations:

I have personally written to each of these families through their solicitor, offering the opportunity to engage.

The RTÉ programme alleged the dossiers, which include the sensitive medical and educational information of children involved in long-dormant court cases, were built and maintained over a number of years by the Department of Health without the knowledge or consent of parents.

The work was done with the co-operation of the HSE and the Department of Education, and involves detailed information sourced directly from confidential consultations that the children and their families had with doctors and other professionals.

Committee chairman Seán Crowe TD said the committee has asked Mr Watt to appear at the meeting to address allegations made.

The committee met in private session after the programme was aired to express concerns over the allegations. The committee subsequently met Mr Corr in private session to hear his evidence on the matter.