Tracey Fay’s death - Learn the lessons

IF Tracey Fay’s tragic life and death prove anything, it is that self-regulation does not work and that the process is utterly undermined by suspicion and conflicts of interest, real or imagined.

No matter how loudly, or accurately, the Health Services Executive protests, the unacceptable delay – eight years – in publishing the report on her awful death can only create a belief that subsidiary interests prevail.

Yesterday afternoon’s announcement that two reports, dealing with two more of the 20 deaths of children in the care of the State since 2002 will be published with in weeks does nothing to diminish that suspicion.

One of the many other issues raised is the question of who controls childcare. Alan Shatter has suggested that it is not the Minister for Children Barry Andrews. There were very many good reasons for replacing the regional health boards with the HSE but the intention was not to create an independent empire. If that has evolved then the Oireachtas must reassert its authority.