THE HEALTH Service Executive is expected to announce details of an independent inquiry into the handling of the Roscommon incest case over the coming days.
The Irish Timesunderstands that senior officials are finalising the details of an inquiry to involve a team of experts which will examine whether social services acted appropriately in the case.
Officials say it will be chaired by a senior member of a non-governmental organisation involved in children’s issues, and will be given a deadline of several months to issue a report.
The final make-up of the inquiry team is expected to be finalised over the weekend.
An announcement is due to be made once a preliminary report by the HSE into the handling of the case is completed.
Minister for Children Barry Andrews requested such a report on Thursday evening after the 40-year-old mother of six was sentenced to seven years in prison for incest, sexual assault and neglect of her children.
Social services in Co Roscommon were in contact with the family over an eight-year period before the children were taken into care in 2004.
Officials say a key focus of the investigation will be why social services did not seek a childcare order from the District Court in 2001, which could have allowed them to take the children into care.
Health authorities in Co Roscommon tried to have the children removed from the family home in October 2000, but were prevented from doing so after the children’s mother secured a restraining order from the High Court.
The health board went back to the court but failed to have the restraining order removed in May 2001. However, the High Court at the time directed that it could be removed if the board secured a childcare order from a district court judge. Privately, health board officials in the west say the mother appeared to improve her care for the family and began to engage more with social workers after this time.
However, in sentencing the mother to seven years in prison this week, Judge Miriam Reynolds said it was clear the woman had become an expert in hiding the reality of what was going on in the home from the board. Biscuits were bought and the house was tidied when social workers were expected. This was the only time the children ever got biscuits, Judge Reynolds said.
Meanwhile, the school in Co Roscommon which the children attended said it was satisfied that it did everything in its power to alert authorities to the neglect of the children. “Reports were made to the relevant authorities where necessary,” the school’s board of management said in a statement.
“We are absolutely shocked at the revelations which have come out of the recent trial, and our thoughts are with the children at this difficult and traumatic time.”
Moves to hold an independent inquiry will help assuage demands from Fine Gael and other political parties for answers into how the children were subject to abuse, despite the attention of social workers.
Children’s rights groups and the Irish Association of Social Workers have gone further, calling for a constitutional referendum on children’s rights.
Declan Coogan, spokesman for the organisation, said a referendum on the rights of the child would help protect children and remove some of the obstacles facing social workers in their daily work.
