McElwee inquiry - No excuse for needless limitations

WHILE the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the resignation of childcare expert Dr Niall McElwee at Athlone Institute of Technology is to be welcomed, the probe is too narrowly focused, prompting fears that serious questions will go unanswered.

Clearly, the issues at the centre of this controversy go beyond the confines of the Athlone institute. However, because of the somewhat limited scope of the terms of reference laid down by the Health Service Executive, the spotlight is unlikely to focus on the part played in the McElwee affair by the gardaí.

As the record shows, Dr McElwee resigned because of a sex offence conviction in the Netherlands, forced to step down in face of threats the story was about to break in the media.