FG TD accuses officials over child reports delay

The delay in publishing reports into the deaths of two vulnerable children in State care was tonight branded scandalous.

The delay in publishing reports into the deaths of two vulnerable children in State care was tonight branded scandalous.

Health Service Executive (HSE) reviews into the deaths of teenagers Tracey Fay and David Foley criticised missed opportunities, a shortfall of expertise, wholly inadequate services and disjointed and fragmented care.

But Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter, who leaked the Fay report forcing the Government into its publication in March, accused officials of avoiding responsibility for their failings.

“The publication today by the HSE of two Child in Care: Death Reports utterly fails to meet acceptable standards of accountability and transparency with regard to the grotesque failures of a dysfunctional, mismanaged and uncoordinated child care and protection service,” the spokesman on children added.

“The reality is the HSE is essentially concerned with ensuring that no one within the HSE is ever held accountable for that organisation’s failings nor for the failings of the former health boards no matter how disastrous their consequences.”

Tracey Fay, whose body was found in a Dublin coal bunker after a drug overdose, first had concerns raised about her by a nurse when just eight months old.

In her short lifetime she was cared for by more than 40 social workers.

The report found the health board failed five times between 1983, when Tracey was born, and 1987 to use special protection powers to step in after concerns were raised about injuries she had suffered.

David Foley was in the care of 32 agencies including social workers, psychiatric assessments, housing and youth justice but was deprived of a sense of security and effectively abandoned in a chaotic environment.

Living homeless, investigators found the teenager was dragged into a sub-culture which teaches impressionable and vulnerable children to avoid some social services and exploit others.

David died in September 2005 just before turning 18.

Children’s Minister Barry Andrews warned while these cases were historic some children today may not be getting the care they need.

“Though these cases relate to 2002 and 2005 and there have been improvements in services since then, undoubtedly, there are children today who do not have access to the necessary services to enable them to live in a stable and caring environment,” he said.

There are more than 5,000 children in state care.

The reports noted inexcusable delays in essential services, a lack of co-operation across health boards, a lack of authority and initiative and a fear of taking charge.

Mr Andrews added: “Multiple care placements broke down, there was a marked absence of care planning and their already vulnerable lives became increasingly chaotic when opportunities to intervene were missed.

“Despite the provision of a range of services, the care planning system failed and two children died.”

Phil Garland, HSE of children & families assistant national director, said significant steps are being made in providing care for the most vulnerable children in our society.

He said: “The tragic death of any child while in care is an extremely serious matter and we are committed to taking a thorough and compassionate approach when it comes to reports into such tragic circumstances.”

But Alan Shatter said the time taken to publish the reports was scandalous and unacceptable.

“The report into the death of Tracey Fay contains a litany of horrors which is entirely missing from the sanitised report into her death published today by the HSE,” he added.

“If Fine Gael had not seven weeks ago published the report into the death of Tracey Fay there is little doubt that neither of these reports would have been published today in any form.”

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