Foster care scandal: Officials still in jobs after abuse claims
Given a failure by the HSE to adequately clarify matters involving the foster home, and a succession of conflicting information, the Government last night announced its intention to establish a statutory Commission of Investigation into the abuse allegations.
HSE bosses will this morning have to account for the failure to sanction those who allowed vulnerable disabled children remain in a foster home in the south-east after serious abuse allegations had been made.
They will be appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which was misled by the HSE over whether an apology was given to one person, ‘Grace’, who was left in the foster home for 13 years after concerns were raised.
Kathleen Lynch, minister of state with responsibility for social care, admitted that many of the managers who were in place when allegations surfaced remain in their posts and no sanction has been handed out, despite the clear failings in care.
She also admitted last night that she has not yet seen the contents of two HSE sponsored reports into the allegations of abuse, despite them being completed in 2012 and 2015. She insisted the HSE was precluded from sharing the reports with her because of ongoing Garda investigations.
Her senior minster, Leo Varadkar, yesterday invoked a section of the Health Act which permits the release of the report to him and Ms Lynch.
Mr Varadkar is said to be be most uneasy as to the lack of verifiable information relating to the handling of the abuse allegations.
One matter still being clarified is whether another person remained in the foster home until April 2015, but this remained unclear last night.
Mr Varadkar spoke to one of the whistleblowers at the heart of Grace’s case before having a two-hour meeting with HSE director general Tony O’Brien.
Following that meeting, Mr Varadkar and Ms Lynch contacted Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton, arguing that a commission of investigation was needed.
“We concluded having consulted with both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste that the only way forward in this whole area is to commission a statutory commission of investigation,” Ms Lynch told reporters.
Ms Lynch said work already under way by senior counsel Conor Dignam “will greatly inform the drafting of the terms of reference” for the commission of investigation.
Mr Dignam was asked by Government to review the allegations in December and is due to complete his work in April.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Waterford TD John Deasy said: “This is a welcome development for the families of the people involved. The whistleblower from WIDA has made this happen. For the families and the individuals involved, her work will benefit children in care for many years.”
One of the whistleblowers at the centre of Grace’s case last night welcomed the announcement by the Government. However, she said this inquiry must be the last inquiry and the Government must ensure proper terms of reference are put in place.
“Let this be the last inquiry into all of this, but that requires proper terms of reference to ensure we find out what really happened,” she told the Irish Examiner.
The HSE welcomed the announcement.
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