Department of Health autism dossiers scandal
The Department of Health autism dossiers scandal concerns the compilation of secret dossiers on children with autism by the Department of Health in Ireland. Revelation On 25 March 2021, RTÉ Investigates broadcast a documentary which interviewed whistleblower Shane Corr, who alleged that the Department of Health had secretly gathered information from private consultations with doctors. The families in question had been involved in legal action against the state. The alleged dossiers contained sensitive medical and educational information about the children in question, as well as their parents and siblings. The information was gathered with the cooperation of the Health Service Executive and Department of Education. The cases are dormant and the information was shared with a view to help the Department of Health with legal strategy. There has been no active litigation in the cases in question nor has there been any evidence they could be reactivated. Template letters seen by RTÉ emphasised keeping the families ignorant of the information gathering. The information was gathered on the explicit grounds that neither the children, their families nor their solicitors were informed. The cases were dormant before 2010. Information was collated and stored in a database that was accessible within part of