Michael Noonan insists he is innocent of wrongdoing in Grace case

Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s handling of the Grace case while he was health minister featured prominently at a meeting of Fine Gael ministers before Cabinet this week, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Mr Noonan has come under sustained fire as a decision to remove the intellectually disabled girl from the foster home at the heart of the scandal was overturned on his watch in 1996.

As revealed by the Irish Examiner, Mr Noonan was lobbied by the then foster father who appealed to have Grace left in the home.