JOSEPH ROBINS: Dr Joseph Robins, who has died aged 79, was a former assistant secretary of the Department of Health with a deep commitment to social reform. An exceptionally dedicated civil servant, he personified the public service at its best. He was also a social historian of note.
During the course of his career, he served on a number of government commissions, consultative bodies and international committees relating to the health services, particularly those for disadvantaged groups. He is credited with securing EU funding for the training of people with mental disabilities.
In addition to pursuing a full-time career, he studied by night at Trinity College, Dublin, where he obtained both BA and BComm degrees. He then went on to complete in 1968 a PhD that became his first published book, The Lost Children: a study of charity children in Ireland 1700 - 1900.
Joseph Alphonsus Robins was born on April 15th, 1923, in Moate, Co. Westmeath, the eldest of the five children of Eugene and Kitty Robins. His father, a farmer and local politician, had been a prominent member of the United Irish League and was imprisoned in 1909 for his part in land agitation.
Joe Robins was educated locally and at the Marist College, Athlone. He enlisted in the Defence Forces, serving as a wireless operator, during The Emergency and in 1946 joined the Department of Justice as a clerical officer, transferring to Health two years later.
In the early 1950s as private secretary to Seán MacEntee, then in Health, he weathered many a storm. As a senior departmental officer he played a major role in the restructuring of the health service, in particular the establishment of the health boards and the introduction of the choice-of-doctor scheme.
Later, as assistant secretary of the Department, he was a member of the review committee on adoption services that reported to the then Minister, Barry Desmond, in 1984. The report formed the basis of the Adoption Bill, 1986, which provided for the adoption, in special circumstances, of children of married parents. The Bill was a casualty of the break-up of the Fine Gael-Labour government in 1986.
He was also closely involved in the preparation of the Children's (Care and Protection) Bill, 1985, the first attempt since 1908 to tackle the legislative framework in relation to children's law and childcare services. Unfortunately, time ran out on this Bill too and it was not until 1990 that the issue was again addressed.
He was responsible for implementing the recommendations of the Planning for the Future report that led to the de-institutionalisation of mental health services. He was also instrumental in establishing the National Council on Ageing and Older People.
Barry Desmond, in his autobiography, wrote of him: "Throughout this period, one public servant stood head and shoulders above all others . . . In the drift towards cynicism about the public service, Joe cared deeply for the deprived and the handicapped. He translated that concern into the quality of his official work. His books The Lost Children and Fools and Mad should be obligatory reading for all politicians."
His colleagues held him in high regard. They found him an inspiring person to work with and he encouraged younger civil servants to always speak their minds. It never did him any harm, he reminded them.
An accomplished writer, his speechwriting abilities were highly valued by the ministers he served. On his retirement from the Department of Health in 1988, Joe Robins gave generously of his time, energy and experience to many voluntary organisations. He was the first chairman of Barnardos when it was established as an autonomous body in Ireland and served in that capacity from 1989 until 1996.
He also did valuable work for the Adoptive Parents' Association, St Michael's House, Mental Health Ireland, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland, the Rape Crisis Centre, Treoir (the Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their Children), Exchange House, and St Columba's Day Care Centre.
His outstanding contribution to Irish society was recognised in 1993 when he received a People of the Year Award. His publications include Fools and Mad: a history of the insane in Ireland (1986), From Rejection to Integration: a centenary of services by the Daughters of Charity to persons with a mental handicap (1992), Custom House People (1993) and Miasma: epidemic and panic in nineteenth-century Ireland (1995). His last book, Champagne and Silver Buckles: the vice-regal court at Dublin Castle, was published in 2001.
Joe Robins lived life to the full. He appreciated good food and wine and in his retirement travelled widely in Europe with his wife Maureen. He regularly attended games at Croke Park. His grandchildren Cian and Tadhg gave him great joy. He is survived by his wife Maureen; daughters Daire and Keara; sons Eunan and Killian; and brother Dermot.
- Joe Robins: born; April 15th, 1923; died, January 11th, 2003