'He was a child, he should not have died'

THE LIFE of murdered teenager Daniel McAnaspie could have been saved had his needs been addressed by a properly functioning childcare system, his funeral service was told.

Fr Peter McVerry said the neglect of the State was a “major contributing factor” to the death of the 17-year-old whose body was found in a ditch in Rathfeigh, Co Meath, last month.

He disappeared after attending a party in Blanchardstown on February 26th and was not seen by friends and family again.

McAnaspie had been in State care since the death of his father Leo when he was 10. His mother Martina died three years ago.

He spent time in a HSE care home, long spells with several of his aunts and had 20 different care placements in the year before he died, his family have said.

Fr McVerry, a critic of the Health Service Executive’s child care services, told the funeral congregation that Anaspie was the victim of a “dysfunctional and under-resourced child care system”.

“Daniel was still a child – he should not have died,” he said.

About 400 mourners gathered at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Finglas for yesterday morning’s funeral service. Dozens of friends and family wore yellow ribbons to mark his short life and his violent death.

A collage of photographs, including one with him smiling with Santa Claus, was placed on the altar along with a teddy bear and a green scarf.

Four wreathes spelling out Dano, his nickname, Brother, Nephew and Grandson, were placed around the church.

Fr McVerry dismissed the Government’s offer to appoint 200 new social workers by the end of the year. He said an additional 1,200 will be needed to bring services up to the level that they are in Northern Ireland.

He acknowledged that such a childcare system would be expensive but “if the failed banks can be given a blank cheque, then a failed child care system is no less important”.

He told the family of Daniel McAnaspie that his death would not be in vain if, by highlighting the state of childcare services Ireland could be made a better and safer place for children. “That will be his legacy. His death will save the lives of others.” He added that his death had created a momentum for reform.

After the service Fr McVerry was extremely critical of the Irish Prison Service for not allowing Mr McAnaspie’s elder brother Edward (22) attend the funeral. He is serving a six-year sentence for a number of offences including possession of a shot gun. Fr McVerry said the service had “lost all sense of compassion and humanity”.

McAnaspie’s other four siblings, Cathriona, Nikita, Keith and Dean, were the chief mourners in attendance. His aunt Pamela Higginbotham read out a eulogy on behalf of the murdered teenager’s younger brother Keith.

Keith described him as a “good person, a caring boy, a big brother and a great friend”.

Nikita joked about her brother’s love of music. “You could sing and rap, but you were no Tupac,” she said.

“Go and have your fun up there with the rest of the gang and don’t be worrying about us down here because justice will be served.”

After the funeral service, Daniel McAnaspie’s body was taken by a horse-drawn carriage to Glasnevin Cemetary for burial.