Watt denies department was prying on families
Updated / Wednesday, 5 May 2021
13:03
The Secretary General of the Department of Health has told the Oireachtas Health Committee that allegations made during an RTÉ Investigates programme were not true.
Robert Watt said that there is a no evidence that the Department is prying on families. He said that a review of the protected disclosure carried out by Conleth Bradley SC found that the information held by the Department was the type that you would expect to see in cases such as this .
Mr Watt also told the Committee that he was disappointed that the Children s Ombudsman commented on allegations made during the RTÉ Investigates programme.
Robert Watt says no evidence Department of Health was prying on families
RTÉ said the Department of Health was invited by RTÉ Investigates to participate in the programme, contrary to claims made by Watt. By Adam Daly Wednesday 5 May 2021, 2:16 PM 5 hours ago 11,723 Views 15 Comments
Image: Oireachtas TV
Updated 1 hour ago
SECRETARY GENERAL AT the Department of Health, Robert Watt, has told an Oireachtas committee that the Department has never gathered sensitive information on children with autism involved in legal cases against the State as “in the manner portrayed by RTÉ”.
Watt said there is “no evidence” the department was “secretly compiling dossiers” on children with autism or “prying on families”.
Mr Watt defended the practice of sharing information between departments who are jointly named as defendants in legal cases â one of the practices highlighted by the programme.
He said there are ways for âvarious information to be collated and sharedâ and defended it as a âlongstanding practiceâ which makes âadministrative senseâ and is lawful. âItâs the only practical way in which I can see us managing these cases effectively.â
Both Mr Watt and other senior officials repeatedly stated that information kept on file that might be seen as sensitive was largely provided by plaintiffs themselves during the course of litigation.