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Inquiry begins into Dunne family deaths 07.01.08

AN inquiry began today into the deaths of a Burt woman and her family whose bodies were found in their home in County Wexford last April.
Ciara Dunne, her husband Adrian and their two children, Leanne, 5 and Shania, 3, were found dead by Gardaí after concern had been expressed about their safety.
It appeared that Mr. Dunne had killed himself after taking the lives of his wife and daughters.
It later emerged that the authorities had become aware of a risk to the family's safety and it is understood the Dunnes visited a local undertaker prior to the incident. The tragedy sparked widespread grief in Burt and the
The late Dunne family.
surrounding areas. Ciara (nee O'Brien) was the niece of millionaire property developer P.J. McDermott who co-owns An Grianan Hotel.
The inquiry, chaired by barrister Kate Brosnan, is taking place at an unknown Dublin location and is not open to the public or to the media. It is expected to take three months to complete and may make recommendations in relation to childcare services not operating outside office hours.
Another focus of the investigation is expected to be whether the authorities have enough legal powers to intervene under current law. The Childcare Act (1991) deals specifically with emergency situations.
The inquiry report will be presented on completion to the Minister for Health. It is not yet known if the report will be made public.
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