Róisín Shortall
Ceist:135 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to publish the Kelly Fitzgerald Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7239/96]
Written Answers. - Kelly Fitzgerald Report Publication.
Limerick-East): The Western Health Board, having considered legal advice from senior counsel, decided on 11 March 1996 to publish only the general recommendations of the report of the inquiry team into the Kelly Fitzgerald case. They also decided to refer the recommendations to the Community Care Committee and the Child Care Advisory Committee of the board and endorsed the decision of the chief executive officer to send a copy of the report to the Minister for Health.
It was my intention that the report, subject to legal advice, would be put into the public domain. The legal advice available to me confirms the difficulties associated with publication of the report. The Government considers it appropriate, however, in view of the public concern about the important issues addressed in the report that an Oireachtas committee should consider the report as regards the legislative implications of its recommendations. I have referred the report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Family to facilitate consideration by the committee of policy developments and legislative changes which it might consider appropriate to support the family, especially with regard to child care, in the light of the report.