Probe into Michael Noonan’s handling of Grace case

Michael Noonan’s handling of the case of ‘Grace’ while health minister and the role of his department in the 1990s will be the subject of commission of investigation hearings early in the new year, an interim report states.

Grace, who has an intellectual disability, was placed with a foster family in the South East in 1989. She remained in the home until 2009, despite repeated allegations of physical abuse being made known to health officials as far back as the early 1990s.

Mr Noonan has strongly denied acting in any way on behalf of the foster father following written representations seeking to have ‘Grace’ remain at the home.