Gilmore claims 'cover-up of some kind' over report

THE REPORT into the Dunne family tragedy in Monageer, Co Wexford, could be published in full through an Oireachtas committee, the Dáil has been told.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmoreclaimed "there is a cover-up of some kind. I do not know what kind it is, but it is not acceptable."

However, Taoiseach Brian Coweninsisted there was no cover-up and the "redaction" was for legal reasons.

“There cannot be a mass publication of the report.”

Referring to blacked-out pages, Mr Gilmore said: “I’ve heard of a report being a whitewash, but this is more of a case of a blackwash. Extraordinarily – and I’ve never seen this in an official report before – even the recommendations are blacked out.”

Calling for the report to be published in full, he said it had been done on other occasions when a report was published through a committee of the House “which has full privilege”.

It was “not a matter of curiosity. It is a matter of trying to learn lessons from this tragedy in an effort to avoid this type of tragedy occurring again.”

He said it was “nonsensical” that the only person who could see the report in full was the chief executive of the HSE. He asked “how are recommendations to be implemented and enforced if we do not know what they are?”

Mr Cowen repeatedly insisted there was no cover-up, and said “the redaction in the report is for legal reasons” not for censorship.

However, his comments were derided as "rubbish" by Fine Gael spokesman on children Alan Shatter, who claimed there had never been a report in the history of the State with the recommendations blacked out.

Mr Cowen insisted “I’m not talking rubbish”, and said the chief executive would be able to see the full report because of his statutory duty of care.

The Taoiseach said he was “not aware that a Dáil committee would be covered by privilege in the same way” but Opposition TDs insisted they were.

The Taoiseach reiterated the Department of Health’s plan that an emergency fostering system – “an out-of-hours service” for children at extreme risk “to be taken to a place of safety” – would be provided between the Garda and the HSE from next month.