Alan Shatter TD, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Children has said: ‘I welcome the launch today of HIQA’s Guidance for the HSE for the Review of Serious Incidents Including Deaths of Children in Care’.

“It is an indictment of the HSE, the Government and successive Ministers for Children that, to date, there has been no standardised, uniform and transparent system in place for such reviews to be conducted and their findings made public.

“It is also astonishing that the Minister should state in his press release in response to the publication of the HIQA Guide that: ‘the need for this guidance was made clear in recent days’. essentially following on from the publication by Fine Gael of the report into the death of Tracey Fay.

“If the Government had some years ago recognised the deficiencies in our child care and protection services, and the systemic and structural failings of the former Health Boards up to 31st December 2004 and of the current HSE, it would long ago have implemented the approach proposed by HIQA.

“It’s unfortunate that it took until the publication of the Ryan Commission Report for the Government to belatedly recognise the appalling deficiencies that should have been blatantly obvious a number of years ago.

“I am calling on Minister Barry Andrews and the HSE to confirm that the HIQA Guidelines will be immediately implemented.”