Madam, – We would like to thank your Social Affairs Correspondent, Carl O'Brien, for again highlighting the endemic problems in the child protection system, particularly with "out of hours" emergency care ( The Irish Times, February 26th).
Few children enter the emergency care system, but of those who do, many face impossible situations. With a lack of support, some spiral out of control with the fatal consequence of a drug overdose.
These deaths do not represent numbers or statistics, but children who were badly let down. Children such as Michelle Bray, Kim Donovan, Tracey Fay and David Foley deserved better and society deserves to know why the system failed these vulnerable children.
Why did we not have an automatic review after each of their deaths? Why have reports not been published? What are we waiting for? Do we not want to learn from our mistakes and prevent other needless deaths?
Common sense requires the establishment of a Child Death Review Committee. To uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, far more is required from the State than what the HSE is currently delivering. – Yours, etc,