Claims that the Department of Health has been secretly building information on children with autism have been described in the Dail as “absolutely shocking”.
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said the department’s actions were “at the very least invasive and disproportionate” but in reality “dishonest, totally unethical and possibly illegal”.
He called for an independent investigation into the matter to be carried out “urgently”.
An RTÉ Investigates programme, to be aired tonight, claims the Department of Health has been secretly using information from private doctor consultations to create dossiers on children with autism who were involved in legal actions against the State without their parents’ knowledge.
Mr Doherty said: “The Department of Health had been gathering information on them and on their children, for many, many years, specifically in order to defend legal cases which these families considered bringing in order to vindicate the rights of their children’s access to services.
“This is truly shocking, absolutely shocking that this is going on, that this was going on, and it highlights an attitude of suspicion and contempt towards the families that is simply not justifiable.”
The Donegal TD said the information on file in the department’s database included medical and personal information, which “any right-thinking person would believe that this was covered by doctor-patient confidentiality”.
“Instead of assisting families in accessing proper services for children with a disability or a learning difficulty, what we had instead was the Department of Health playing private investigators, trying to dig up dirt on parents who’ve already been through the mill,” Mr Doherty claimed.
“It is at the very least invasive and disproportionate. In reality, it is dishonest, it is totally unethical and possibly illegal, and it represents a monumental breach of trust.”
He added that it had clearly been a practice that had been going on for years.
Asked whether he was aware of the Department of Health’s actions, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said he had “no recollection” about the matter and described what has been recounted as “worrying”.
“I understand it’s only from reading the RTÉ website this morning that a protected disclosure on the matter was made in 2020,” Mr Varadkar told the Dail.
“Personally I have no recollection of being briefed on this.
“You mentioned that I am a former minister for health. That was four or five years ago for a year and a half, I don’t have any personal recollection of this at all.”
The Fine Gael leader added that he would “double check” any records regarding the matter.
