A tragic life and death - A scandal that had to be revealed

IT shows the skewed loyalties of the Health Service Executive that their first response to the publication of a report on the awful life and death, eight years ago, of an 18-year-old woman in their care, was to question the fact that the tragedy was even made public.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews, responded in a more honest way when he said that the woman – Tracey Fay as she has become known – was failed by the State.

The HSE may skirt the real issues by hiding behind a publishing veto but this report reveals a scandal almost of Ryan or Murphy report proportions. It should have been made public years ago, certainly not eight years after the tragic event. If the HSE has properly considered the balance of rights involved it would have published the report a long time ago – had they completed it. At least Mr Andrews partially acknowledged this when he said the lengthy delay could not be defended.

Mr Andrews said the HSE had sought permission from Tracey Fay’s family so the harrowing story could be published and suggested that Fine Gael’s Alan Shatter was wrong to publish it without that approval.

If he really believes that then this sorry story is another victory for the dangerous culture dependent on secrecy. The culture that has done so much to protect the indefensible. The culture that serves no one, least of all the bereaved family. The culture the officials involved knew they could hide behind. The culture that facilitated the horrors recorded by Ryan and Murphy. Most of all, the culture that inflicts another wound on the memory of the troubled and difficult life of Tracey Fay.

The details of Tracey Fay’s unfair, abused and addicted life will send a shiver down the spine of every parent with the perception to see the traps society can set for their innocent and sometimes vulnerable children. They will need courage too to believe Mr Andrews that all of the recommendations made after this tragedy have been “actioned” to prevent a recurrence. All of us need to be convinced that safety nets are in place to protect anyone as troubled as Tracey Fay.

We have often argued for an independent investigative authority with the real teeth and ambition to look into institutions or individuals that have damaged the public interest. There are so many opportunities for such an authority that it is almost subversive to argue that we should not have one. Tracey Fay’s death is another.

She had a short and cruel life and would probably have challenged the world’s very best health service but this report details failure on a scale that cannot be ignored or kept secret. To do so would endanger the life of every troubled and disadvantaged child.

Alan Shatter was right to publish it.