Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 2

Written Answers. - Child Abuse.

Alan Shatter

Question:

144 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to make available to the commission to inquire into child abuse, all records, files and papers in his Department over the past 60 years detailing allegation of this abuse in institutions; his Department's response to these allegations; the plans, if any, he has to require each health board to make available to the commission any documentation held by it including the health boards' responses; and the progress, if any, made to date in collating this documentation. [5613/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Ms Hanafin)

As Deputies will be aware, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Bill, 2000 was published by my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, on 4 February last. The Bill includes a provision which establishes an investigation committee and this committee will have full powers to compel witnesses and to discover documents-powers similar to those of the High Court.

It goes without saying that my Department will co-operate fully with the commission and with the investigation committee to be established. All relevant records will be made available and work on assembling these has commenced. There has also been contact between my Department and the secretariat of the commission on this issue.

In regard to health boards, these are separate statutory bodies and I do not have an intermediary role in regard to such information as the commission may require. However, I am confident the boards, in the light of the Government's decision 11 May last to respond to the needs of those who were abused while in care and in the context of the proposed legislation to which I have already referred, will also co-operate fully.