HEALTH AUTHORITIES have postponed publishing the recommendations of reports into the deaths of children in care following controversy over the limited information they were prepared to release.
The deaths of David Foley (17) and Tracey Fay (18) from drugs overdoses while still in State care led to reports being commissioned into the handling of their cases.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) was until yesterday prepared to publish the recommendations of the reports only, not the findings, leading to accusations that it was trying to hide its failures.
There were significant concerns yesterday within Government and the HSE over the political and public relations implications of not publishing the findings of the reports, according to informed sources.
Minister for Children Barry Andrews, for example, has pledged on a number of occasions that the reports would be published, or as much as would be legally possible.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said last night that the recommendations and some findings would be published “shortly”. It now seems likely that officials will meet the families concerned to discuss the findings.
The move to publish the recommendations only had prompted criticism from David Foley’s sister Lynda, who said the move was an “insult”.
“We have the right to see the report. So many children have died in the care system and we need to learn these lessons,” she said.
“It seems they have something to hide. If they didn’t, they would put all the details out into the open. I presume they know they’ll get criticism if the findings are made public. There is not accountability. Everyone seems to be hiding away from the truth.”
In the case of Mr Foley’s death, the HSE had been planning to publish two recommendations.
More than 20 children have died in the care system over the past decade. While some of died of medical reasons, the majority died in controversial circumstances.
The Government has pledged to establish a system which would allow for the independent investigation of deaths in care.