Foster care whistle blower to meet HSE boss

The whistleblower who helped unearth the South-East foster abuse scandal will meet with HSE director general Tony O Brien in Dublin this afternoon in a bid to push for full information to be released on the case.

It is understood the health service worker will discuss the case with Mr O’Brien at an undisclosed location after the HSE boss was urged by Health Minister Leo Varadkar to hold the meeting.

It had initially been planned in the hours immediately after the issue was raised during an emergency Dáil public accounts committee debate, on the day before the election was called, but was delayed until today due to the length of the Oireachtas debate.

Although Mr O Brien has repeatedly said he is legally restricted from revealing all details of the case, including at least two unpublished HSE investigations, he is expected to come under increased pressure from the whistleblower that further information needs to be released.

As previously revealed by the Irish Examiner, the controversy relates to a single foster care family in the South-East with whom at least 47 vulnerable minors with significant intellectual disabilities had been placed between 1983 and 1995.

It is alleged a number suffered severe sexual, physical, and financial abuse in the home, with the PAC making further disputed claims that what happened was the subject of a subsequent attempt by health service officials to cover it up.

In 1995 the family — which took in people via the State, the Brothers of Charity and through private independent foster placements — was banned from taking in individuals.

However, two women with significant intellectual disabilities were inadvertently left there until 2009 and 2013 respectively.

Last week, Finance Minister Michael Noonan confirmed he received a letter from the foster family while health minister at the time.