Some 624 women held in Magdalene laundries have to date received a lump sum payment of more than €23m under a government redress scheme.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has reiterated that An Grianán “served a different purpose” to High Park Magdalene laundry — despite HSE evidence stating they were “one and the same thing”.

Concerns that up to 1,000 children may have been “trafficked” to the US from the Tuam mother and baby home in “a scandal that dwarfs other, more recent issues with the Church and State” were raised by the HSE in 2012.

The former assistant national director of child and family services in the HSE said he was “not surprised” when approximately 700 unidentified files relating to children, about whom concerns had been raised, were recently unearthed.

VICTIMS’ organisation One in Four has called for a statutory inquiry into Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid, as it emerged that gardaí are investigating two complaints of abuse against him.

The Government today faced calls for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving the former Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid.

PROFESSOR Brendan Drumm epitomised the worst aspects of public administration late last week.

THERE were fears last night that an estimate of 200 deaths of children in care in the past decade could be exceeded at the same time as an expert panel awaits files from the HSE.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has hit out at media reports that the number of children who have died in State care could be as high as 200 and insisted that its initial figure of 23 deaths was unlikely to climb significantly.

MINISTER for Children Barry Andrews insisted work on implementing recommendations contained in a new report on child services would be stepped up in the coming months.

THE HSE has been accused of burying a confidential report which outlines a series of failings in the delivery of support services for children and their families.

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has admitted full responsibility for the tragic deaths of two young people while in the care of the state.

The delay in publishing reports into the deaths of two vulnerable children in State care was tonight branded scandalous.

The Health Service Executive is admitting that it significantly failed in the provision of services to two young people who died while in the care of the State.

NO Irish child should be sent overseas for general care placements from 12 months time, a senior official with the HSE said yesterday.

JUST seven of the 26 Catholic bishops have responded to a question on whether or not their diocese ever operated a secret oath policy.

THE report into the death of Tracey Fay raises the question of who was in charge of the tragic teenager’s care.

THE Health Service Executive said it was very concerned about Fine Gael’s decision to publish a report on a teenage girl who died while in the care of the state.

THE Health Service Executive’s (HSE) assistant national director for children and families has called for aftercare services to be provided for all children leaving the care system.

A FORMER Government minister has said there is no need for the Bishop of Galway to resign in the wake of the Murphy Report.

BISHOPS across the country will soon have to hand over comprehensive details of every child abuse complaint made to them so it can be cross-referenced against Garda records.

THE Health Service Executive is not responding “adequately” to children at risk of neglect or abuse, the head of advocacy at children’s charity Barnardos has said.