asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 16 years of age who it is suspected have died as a result of parental or family violence or neglect between the years 1970 to 1984 inclusive and the procedures operated by his Department to ascertain when the death of a young child is caused by family or parental violence.
Written Answers. - Child Deaths.
40.
The information sought by the Deputy is not available in my Department which has no function in the ascertainment of the circumstances or cause of death in cases where a crime is suspected. This is, of course, a matter for the Department of Justice.
I understand that a research project, under the direction of the State Pathologist, Dr. John Harbison, is being carried out into the deaths of children suspected of dying as a result of family violence or neglect during the nine-year period up to the end of 1983. I would naturally be interested in having an opportunity to study the findings of this research when they become available.