The 'Grace' investigation into claims a severely disabled mute woman suffered decades of sexual abuse at a State foster home will not make any findings until May 2020 - two years later than originally planned.

Grave concerns have been expressed in the Dáil over the year-long delay to the commission of inquiry into the Grace foster abuse scandal.

The State commission into the Grace foster abuse scandal has been severely criticised by the families of victims for being overly “hostile and adversarial”.

Two cases similar to that of ‘Grace’ — the intellectually disabled woman abused in a foster home — are now the subject of legal action involving the State.

Michael Noonan’s handling of the case of ‘Grace’ while health minister and the role of his department in the 1990s will be the subject of commission of investigation hearings early in the new year, an interim report states.

The HSE and gardaí have been ordered to release key reports into the Grace foster abuse scandal and the re-opening of Stepaside garda station by tonight amid claims they are deliberately blocking investigations.

The HSE and gardaí have been ordered to release key reports into the Grace foster abuse scandal and the re-opening of Stepaside garda station by tonight amid claims they are deliberately blocking investigations.

The HSE has been heavily criticised by junior health minister Finian McGrath for its role in the Grace case, and for delaying the setting up of a commission of inquiry into the abuse scandal.

Health Minister Simon Harris is scrambling to address concerns the commission of investigation into the Grace foster abuse scandal cannot cover the victim’s legal fees because of a blind spot in existing laws.

A HSE-commissioned report into claims that officials drained resources from the Grace sex abuse whistleblowers will not be published until at least the end of August — five months after its initial deadline.

The public accounts committee has demanded the HSE immediately hand over an audit report into claims it cut funding to the organisation of the whistleblower in the ‘Grace’ foster care abuse scandal.

The whistleblower behind the so-called 'Grace case' is to be called to the Public Accounts Committee.

The shocking “Grace” case showed what can go wrong when the protection a person entrusted to a care service does not inform decision making in that process.

The inquiry into the handling of the so-called 'Grace case' is set to cost the State €7.5m.

Fianna Fáil are calling on the head of the HSE to clarify what he knew about the 'Grace' reports.

HSE director general Tony O'Brien has been forced to admit a senior official directly involved in the 'Grace' foster abuse scandal is continuing to work in the public service - despite previously claiming this is not the case.

Considerable inconsistencies exist in the HSE’s evidence to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and one of the main reports into the Grace foster abuse scandal, it has been claimed.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has branded suggestions he should resign due to his role in the Grace foster abuse case as “ridiculous”, insisting he has “nothing to do” with the scandal.

The sister of a child who spent time in the same foster home where 'Grace' lived has spoken out about her family's experience.

Latest: The HSE has agreed to write to TDs next week, amid claims it misled the Public Accounts Committee about its handling of the Grace case.

Information about communications between the Gardaí and the HSE has been released to RTÉ under the Freedom of Information Act.

Update 4.15pm: The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has apologised to a disabled woman who was left in an abusive foster home for 20 years.

Two previously unpublished reports into the ‘Grace’ foster abuse sex scandal will be published early next week, Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath confirmed yesterday.

A senior HSE manager tried to sack the whistle-blower who revealed the Grace foster abuse scandal in a detailed legal letter which was proven to involve entirely “fabricated” claims writes Daniel McConnell and Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

It is time to demand our watchkeepers protect the country’s most vulnerable children and make tangible changes to our child protection system and processes, writes Linda Gibbons

Finance Minister Michael Noonan knew about abuse allegations at a foster home in the southeast area as far back as 20 years ago, he has revealed.

The singer who was a member of The Dubliners from 1974-1979 passed away today.