Taoiseach to ask why HSE wanted to limit scope of inquests into deaths of children killed by mother

Deirdre Morley (pictured) was found not guilty by reason of insanity of killing Conor, Darragh, and Carla at their home in Newcastle, Co Dublin, on January 24, 2020. File photo: Family Handout

The Taoiseach has promised to ask why the HSE argued against a coroner extending the scope of inquests into the deaths of three children killed by their mother.

Micheál Martin was told in the Dáil by Independent TD Paul Gogarty that the legal move “requires an examination as to why the HSE sought to limit this inquest”.

Mr Gogarty also said there needs to be an examination of whether or not the HSE’s actions “constitute undue interference contrary to the public interest”.

Andrew McGinley, the children's father, last year asked that a two-year period of his ex-wife Deirdre Morley’s psychiatric care be examined at the forthcoming inquests.

The former paediatric nurse was found not guilty by reason of insanity of killing Conor, Darragh, and Carla at their home in Newcastle, Co Dublin, on January 24, 2020. An autopsy later found the children died by suffocation.

​Counsel for Mr McGinley told the Dublin District Coroner last June in a pre-inquest hearing that he believes her mental illness was “not properly diagnosed or treated” when she was in State mental health care as well as when she was being treated in the community.

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He also said he was not properly involved in her diagnosis and treatment, nor was he advised about the nature and extent of her illness and symptoms.

He also contends that all these matters are "causatively related” to the deaths of his children and he wants to see if steps can be identified which could prevent a recurrence of the ”dreadful events” happening again.

He wants the scope of the inquest to include evidence related to the period of two years prior to the deaths of his children and should include every occasion when Ms Morley was provided with psychiatric care.

He had also argued there is "strong public interest in the scope of the inquest being extended”.

Despite this submission, senior Dublin District Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said she doesn’t regard this “necessary or permissible in the context of the legitimate scope of these inquests".

She made this decision after receiving submissions from a number of interested parties, including the HSE.

Barristers for the agency said that — among other things — seeking to extend the scope of the inquest to cover the medical treatment of Ms Morley for a period of two years is “beyond the scope of an inquest”.

Taoiseach's promise

In reply to Mr Gogarty’s request in the Dail, Mr Martin said: “I will ask why the HSE took the position it took.

“In more recent times, we are witnessing families coming forward feeling their concerns and issues are not being listened to by those in authority.

“On the other hand, there are very clear issues, also of an ethical kind, that are not immediately reconcilable with the need for 100% transparency as well.

“But we do have an obligation to listen and then to act in the best way we can, to try and meet the concerns of those who have lost their children in horrific circumstances and in very traumatic circumstances."

He said he is open to engaging with Mr McGinley and with others "in terms of how we can move this forward".