21/03/2012

Report On Child Deaths "Harrowing" Says Minister

A new, yet to be published, report into the deaths of children has been described as “harrowing” by Minister for Children Francis Fitzgerald.

The report, originally presented to government before Christmas, will be published within the next few weeks, once it has received legal clearance.

One finding shows that 115 children died from unnatural causes while in State care between the years 2000-2010.

A team under child law expert Geoffrey Shannon and Norah Gibbons of the children’s charity Barnados have compiled the report.

Praising Mr Shannon and Ms Gibbons for their work Fitzgerald told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland: “It has to be cleared legally because clearly there are issues of confidentiality as far as the children are concerned but I will publish that report once I get the legal clearance and we will have to learn the lessons.”

This comes the day after the Vatican’s own report on child abuse in the Church with Ms Fitzgerald saying both the Catholic church and the State had failed children and she wanted to “turn over a new leaf, a new era of child protection” in the country.

(H/GK)


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