Children left in care homes after abuse claims

The head of the State’s child protection agency, Tusla, has confirmed that children are left in foster homes where abuse allegations have surfaced, insisting that removing them would be worse.

Tusla chief executive Fred McBride made his comments yesterday in the wake of the latest abuse allegations involving foster children in the west of Ireland, which were uncovered by RTÉ’s Investigations Unit.

Mr McBride said children would only be removed from the foster home “as a last resort”, claiming that removing them from the home would significantly add to their trauma.