THE Dail Committee on the Family is to consider the Western Health Board report on the death of a Mayo teenager, Ms Kelly Fitzgerald, tomorrow. It is to meet in private session initially to agree on how it will consider the report's findings.

Following the Government's referral of the report to the committee, it will also establish the extent of the legal privilege it would have in its deliberations, and agree on whether future sessions on the report will be in public or private.

The committee's chairman, Mr Paul McGrath (FG), said yesterday it was not possible to say at this point how the report would be considered, or if members or officials of the Western Health Board would be asked to appear before the committee.

The move comes as the health board continues to examine the report's contents through internal, specialist committees. However, it remains reluctant to publish the independent report because of a threat of legal action by staff involved in the Fitzgerald ease.

Meanwhile, a board member and former Minister of State for Health, Mr Terry Leyden (FF), said yesterday the Government should immediately publish the report, which found the board was "naive and ineffective" in the manner it dealt with the case. Kelly Fitzgerald's parents were jailed after pleading guilty to charges of wilful neglect of her. The report found also that she was systematically beaten and deprived of food.

The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, the Minister of State for Health, Mr Currie, and the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, should desist from trying to "scapegoat the Western Health Board" and publish the report.

"My advice to Ministers Noonan, Currie and Spring is publish and be damned, if they feel that strongly about it. Don't hide behind the Western Health Board. I don't want the board escapegoated."

He nevertheless felt the board's decision, taken behind closed doors, not to publish the report had not reflected well on it.