Grace inquiry to probe cover-up by HSE

The extent to which a “clique of HSE managers” conspired to cover up the Grace foster abuse sex scandal will be investigated in the commission of inquiry after the Government was forced to change the terms of reference.

Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath, following scathing criticism from opposition TDs, will today bring a new motion before the Dáil which will see the case of 46 other people who stayed in the foster home included in the inquiry.

The Government initially sought to exclude the others in the home to allow the commission concentrate on the case of Grace, but yesterday a major climb down was announced in chaotic circumstances in the Dáil.

It has been confirmed to the Irish Examiner that on foot of the scathing criticism during the Dáil debate, a command went from Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s office to Mr McGrath to “shut the issue down” and relent to opposition demands.

The intervention from Mr Kenny and from Health Minister Simon Harris, who entered during the debate to inform Mr McGrath of the instruction, followed a change of heart from Fianna Fáil. On Tuesday night, the party had supported the original terms of reference, but changed tack on foot of a meeting between leader Micheál Martin and two whistleblowers connected with the case in Leinster House.

“Enda did not want to take leaders’ questions with this issue still raging. They had to shut it down,” said a senior Government source.

Last night, Cabinet ministers held a meeting over the phone to approve the new terms of reference after agreement was reached with the opposition which will also examine the extent of the HSE cover-up and the alleged maltreatment of whistleblowers involved in this case.

Speaking during a Dáil debate which was delayed by 20 minutes because not enough TDs were in attendance and finished 30 minutes early for the same reason, Mr McGrath initially defended the original terms, strongly insisting “anyone who knows me knows I don’t do exclusion”.

Criticising the original terms of reference, Waterford Fine Gael TD John Deasy described the actions of the HSE as “Kafkaesque”.

“Was it a conspiracy and cover-up? Yes, it was. As I have stated previously, it was a concerted and organised attempt to hide information and conceal the truth by a clique of HSE managers.

“It was an orchestrated attempt to protect officials and an organisation who failed people in state care in a catastrophic manner on a number of levels,” he said.

Kilkenny Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness said the inquiry needed to be expanded and to fail to do so would mean the State has become those individuals’ “abusers”.

Mr McGuinness also referred to the case of a girl, highlighted on the front page of the Irish Examiner yesterday, who had been anally raped with implements at the home: “How disgusting is that, yet this case will not be included in the commission of inquiry’s remit. We should be ashamed of ourselves.”

At leaders’ questions, Mr Kenny told Mr Martin that the concerns raised by TDs will be fully addressed in the new terms of reference.

“Let us make sure that it is right and proper, comprehensive and that it covers all the issues that deputies have quite rightly raised.”

Meanwhile, President Michael D Higgins welcomed the establishment of the commission of inquiry.

“I also want to welcome the Government’s decision to set up a commission of investigation to examine the alleged abuse of an intellectually disabled young woman, known as ‘Grace’, at a foster home in the South East,” he said.

The whistleblower who first raised the Grace case last night said she “welcomes the reported amendments to guarantee the inclusion of matters recommended by Dignam” and acknowledged the work of TDs John McGuinness and John Deasy.