The Government is to establish an independent inquiry into the deaths of the Dunne family in Co Wexford which will run parallel to three other investigations into the case, including two by the Garda and one by the Health Service Executive, write Conor Lally, in Monageer, and Stephen Collins.
The tragedy in Monageer was discussed at length at yesterday's Cabinet meeting as the background to the case became clearer.
It has emerged that when the dead couple, Adrian and Ciara Dunne, visited an undertaker in New Ross last Friday, they ordered four coffins, headstones and a burial plot, for themselves and their daughters, Shania (3) and Leanne (5). Preliminary post mortem results suggest Mr Dunne was hanged, that his wife was strangled or choked, and that the two children were smothered.
The visit to the undertakers was brought to the attention of the Garda last Friday and the HSE on Saturday. The Garda sent a priest to assess the family's wellbeing on Friday and he was assured by the Dunnes that they were not suicidal. No Garda member went to the Dunne home. The Garda also passed details of the case to the HSE.
Mr Dunne's mother, Mary Dunne said yesterday she believed the authorities should have contacted her about safety concerns for her son's family on Friday. "We would have been able to help them," she said.
Ciara Dunne's family, who are from Burt in Donegal, flew to Wexford by helicopter yesterday. They were expected to formally identify her remains last night.
Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan said he had sought a report on the deaths from the HSE. The nature of the independent inquiry would be determined by the information that came to light, he said.
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has asked Kilkenny-based Supt Pat Mangan to conduct an internal investigation into the Garda's handling of the tragedy. He will select his own investigation team. A separate Garda criminal investigation into the deaths is progressing.
It emerged yesterday that the Dunnes left instructions with Cooney's undertakers in New Ross last Friday that the girls should be buried in white coffins in Liverpool soccer jerseys and wearing jeans with the logo of Dora the Explorer, a popular children's cartoon character. Undertaker Frances Cooney became concerned and contacted gardaí on Friday evening, who in turn contacted the HSE.
Garda sources said they asked Fr Richard Redmond to visit the family last Friday evening because he knew them very well. The sources said the Dunnes had assured Fr Redmond the funeral arrangements were being made in case the family died in an accident.
The HSE confirmed the Dunnes attended a routine health check last Friday at which no issues of concern emerged. It said when gardaí contacted HSE officials in Wexford on Saturday afternoon the officials reminded gardaí that the force had the power under the Child Care Act to remove children from the family home if they were deemed to be at risk.
The statement continued: "On Monday, the child care manager referred the case to the social work service at the start of business on that morning. The social work team immediately carried out an assessment of all the information available to them at that stage and proceeded to carry out a home visit."
However, at the time social workers were due to call to the house at 2pm on Monday gardaí discovered the four bodies.
Last night officials from Mr Lenihan's office discussed the matter with HSE officials to see if it would be possible to set up an out-of-hours service so that social workers would be called in to assess the needs of vulnerable families.