Logan submits report on Garda involvement in taking of Roma children to Shatter

The report of a special inquiry into the events surrounding the taking into care of two Roma children late last year was yesterday submitted to Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.

The inquiry was conducted by Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan who was granted special powers by Mr Shatter to allow her office to investigate Garda involvement in the removal of the children from their families.

A girl (7) in Dublin and a boy (2) in Athlone were removed from their families and placed in HSE care by gardaí last October amid suggestions they were not actually related to their families.

DNA tests
DNA tests later confirmed both were the children of the parents in question and the episode raised concerns that gardaí and the HSE acted on the basis of racial profiling. The incident resulted in Mr Shatter requesting reports from both bodies as well as Ms Logan.

Gardaí later told the District Court they took the action following concerns over the girl’s identity and because they feared she was a “flight risk”.

A garda told the court he also spoke to a consultant at a children’s hospital who said it would be “highly unlikely” a child of Roma ethnicity would have blond hair and blue eyes.

Former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan said at the time he had no difficulty with Mr Shatter’s decision to ask Ms Logan to investigate the episode.

Ms Logan yesterday submitted her report following the lifting of the in camera rule by the District Court on Tuesday.

Publication of this report will be a matter for the Mr Shatter following a separate application to the courts by the Minister.