Anger at yet another delay in 'Grace' foster abuse inquiry

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman granted the commission of investigation into certain matters relative to a disability service in the South-East an extension of the timeframe for submission of its final report by 12 months up to March 2024. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

The families of victims of the ‘Grace’ foster abuse scandal have condemned the decision to grant another 12-month extension to the State commission of investigation.

Described as "the greatest scandal of our time" in the Dáil, the commission is probing the 20 years of neglect of Grace, an intellectually disabled woman placed in a foster home in the South-East of the country.

The commission was established in 2015 to investigate allegations that 47 vulnerable and intellectually disabled children and young adults were subject to horrific abuse at a foster home in the South-East.

Despite mounting anger within Government at the length of time the Farrelly Commission has taken, ministers “very reluctantly” agreed to accede to the request for the extension.

This week, the Government noted Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s decision to grant the commission of investigation into certain matters relative to a disability service in the South-East an extension of the timeframe for submission of its final report by 12 months up to March 2024.

The decision to grant the extension follows an application made by the commission’s sole member, Marjorie Farrelly SC, for an extension of time to allow the commission to complete its Phase 1 investigations [into Grace’s case] and submit its final report on this work.

Since its establishment, the commission has provided eight interim reports of its work processes and progress of its work plan to the Department of Health.

However, speaking to the Irish Examiner, the families of some of the victims have spoken of their anger and frustration with the failure of the commission to conclude its work.

They have also hit out at the “highly adversarial and legalistic” hearings carried out by the commission, which they said had “retraumatised” them.

In January and March of 2021, the commission submitted two substantive interim reports on its investigation, which revealed Grace’s foster parents both had criminal convictions.

It also highlighted “systemic failings” by the South Eastern Health Board, 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.

The interim reports, crucially, did not make any determination as to whether any abuse took place in the foster home.

Concern has been expressed within Government that the commission has so far cost €7m and has been severely delayed.

Of concern is that office accommodation for the commission is running at €22,000 a month.