AN INQUIRY into the deaths last year of a family of four in Monageer, Co Wexford, has been submitted to the Government and is expected to be published over the coming weeks.
Adrian Dunne (29), his wife Ciara (24) and their two children, Leanne (five) and Shania (three) were found dead in their home last April, three days after the family visited an undertaker to arrange how the couple and their children were to be buried.
It later emerged that authorities had been made aware of a possible risk to the safety of the children.
The inquiry is expected to recommend the introduction of an out-of-hours emergency social work service to help deal with crisis situations involving children.
A spokesman for the Minister for Children Barry Andrews confirmed that the inquiry report was received by members of the Government yesterday. He said a copy had also been sent to the Attorney General for legal advice.
In the meantime, it is understood that the Health Service Executive is finalising plans to improve emergency care for children at risk outside of office hours within existing services, such as emergency foster care, primary care and mental health services.
There had been plans to establish a 24-hour social care service across the State up until last July. The HSE said at the time it suspended the €15 million project as a result of budgetary constraints.
The inquiry, chaired by barrister Kate Brosnan, took place at an undisclosed location in Dublin and was closed to the public.
The members of the inquiry team include former assistant Garda commissioner Jim McHugh. It was originally set up in June 2007 but began its work in January this year, following the completion of a Garda report into the incident.
The inquiry team has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths, documenting the involvement of State services and looking into how the various bodies co-operated with each other.
The inquiry team is also instructed to make recommendations to the Minister for Health and Children and the Minister for Justice as to how such an event may, as far as possible, be avoided in future.
