Vol. 554 No. 5
942 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider the empanelling of a child death review committee to examine the circumstances surrounding child deaths resulting from violent assaults, with a view to making recommendations for policies and practices that would help prevent such tragedies in the future. [15596/02]
An issue which has received considerable publicity recently is the deaths of children in circumstances of huge family turmoil, where separation seems to be one of a number of distressing factors. At the Select Committee on Family, Community and Social Affairs last year, the former Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, announced proposals to prioritise funding for research on how services can better respond to families in crisis and what measures can be put in place to prevent families falling into extreme distress, under the families research programme.
I understand that this research is being commissioned under the new funding round of the families research programme. Meanwhile contacts are being made at official level with State bodies, research institutions and universities both at home and abroad to learn more about the experience of dealing with families in crisis and to gather the available research on this theme. This information, together with the views of Irish experts working in this field, will help to shape the terms of reference and focus the proposed research appropriately. The Department of Social and Family Affairs will be liaising with the national children's office in progressing the research project.
I have no plans to empanel a child death review committee at present and will await the outcome of the research before deciding on future policy in this important and complex area.
Question No. 943 answered with Question No. 888.
