Questions remain over potential abuse of 'Grace' by foster parents, says minister

Grace was only meant to stay with the couple temporarily from her arrival in 1989. However, successive failures and decision U-turns meant she remained in the home until 2009, despite allegations of abuse being made against Mr X. File picture: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire

Important questions still remain around the potential abuse of an intellectually disabled woman known as ‘Grace’ by her foster parents, Disabilities Minister Anne Rabbitte has said.

Two substantive interim reports by a commission of investigation, published on Friday afternoon, have found Grace was placed in the care of foster parents despite both of them having criminal convictions.

The reports have also uncovered “systemic failings” by the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB), which led to Grace being neglected to a point where she suffered repeated injuries to her body, required “significant dental work” and instances of inappropriate stripping went unreported.
However, as first reported by the Irish Examiner earlier this week, the investigation has cleared former health ministers Michael Noonan and Austin Currie over their handling of the case in 1996, after a decision to remove Grace from the home was controversially overturned after the foster father wrote a letter to Mr Noonan.

Ms Rabbitte said the publication of the Farrelly Commission reports provided the first opportunity to engage with the relevant organisations and care providers to discuss the findings, the evolution of care in the interim, and confirm the circumstances which enabled this situation to arise in the first place have been addressed.

However, she added: "The work of the commission has yet to conclude on a number of important issues relating to Grace. In particular, we are awaiting its findings in relation to the care provided to Grace by the foster family and whether she suffered abuse. This is one of the most important issues to be considered by the commission and there is significant interest in its resolution”.

The commission has now been given an extension until July 2022 to complete its investigation.

Running to almost 800 pages, the commission reports examine the allegations of abuse of Grace and 46 others who stayed in the home and identified specific failings by health workers who were charged with Grace’s care.

They include a failure to remove her from the home, securing her legal status after turning 18, and also for failing to act on warnings as to her health and wellbeing.

Grace was only meant to stay with the couple temporarily from her arrival in 1989. However, successive failures and decision U-turns meant she remained in the home until 2009, despite allegations of abuse being made against Mr X.

In relation to the foster parents, referred to as ‘Mr and Mrs X’, the report found both had convictions for theft/larceny, yet were deemed fit to house Grace and other vulnerable young adults and children.

Reflecting on the findings by the commission, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly expressed his concern over the failure at that time by the South Eastern Health Board, and subsequently the HSE, to adhere to their statutory obligations.

“These reports point to a series of historic systemic failings on the part of the various public bodies.

"National policy in relation to the care of children and adults with intellectual disabilities has developed significantly over time since the periods covered by these reports, including the establishment of a national safeguarding policy," he added.