The HSE promise to publish definitive details of numbers of children who died in care tomorrow is not good enough according to Fine Gael Children Spokesperson, Alan Shatter TD. Deputy Shatter said we also need to know the numbers of children reported to be at risk who subsequently died due to child protection failures. Read the rest of this entry »

Article by Alan Shatter TD which appeared in the Irish Daily Mail on 18th May 2010

“Speaking today (Monday), Fine Gael Spokesperson on Children, Alan Shatter TD, said, ‘I very much regret to learn of the tragic death of Daniel McAnaspie. In the circumstances as disclosed I do not want to say anything that might impede any Garda investigation into his death. Tragically, he is another young man who has died while in the care of the State.” Read the rest of this entry »

The report published today (Tuesday) by the Ombudsman for Children is yet another damning indictment of the State’s failure to provide to children at risk the protection to which they are entitled, according to Fine Gael Children Spokesperson, Alan Shatter TD. Read the rest of this entry »

Dail Statements on Child Protection
29 April 2010

Deputy Alan Shatter:  I listened with interest to the Minister of State’s speech. I do not believe that within the limited time available to me I will have an opportunity to address each of the topics raised by him but will try to cover a number of them which are of considerable importance. Read the rest of this entry »

Statement by Alan Shatter TD, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Children    Leaked Report Confirms Chronic and Systemic Failures in Child Protection Management and Service Delivery

Photo: Irish Times 30th April

Recent HSE Child Protection Reports Ignore Existence of PA Report

A suppressed HSE report from October 2009 on child protection services in the State that has been leaked to Fine Gael, and published on the Party’s www.letinthelight.ie website, confirms a chronic and systemic failure in the management and delivery of child protection services. The detailed PA Consulting Report (“Inspiring Confidence in Children and Family Services: Putting Children First and Meaning It”) has not been published, referred to or commented on by Minister Barry Andrews or, for instance, Geoffrey Shannon who just over a week ago produced the “Third Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection”.  Read the rest of this entry »