The “absolute priority” for a forthcoming commission of investigation into a “foster home” in the southeast will be to ascertain how a vulnerable young woman known as “Grace” was failed by the Health Service Executive, Minister of State for Disabilities Finian McGrath has said.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr McGrath said officials were "doing a lot of work in the background on the terms of reference" for the inquiry and he would not "tolerate or stand over" an investigation that did not "get the absolute truth of the matter".
The young woman at the centre of the case has severe intellectual disabilities. She was placed in the home, which was never assessed as a long-term foster home, by the then South Eastern Health Board (SEHB), in 1989. She remained there until 2009, despite credible concerns about alleged serious sexual abuse at the home.
All new placements stopped in 1995 amid these concerns and the SEHB decided to remove Grace. However, the "foster" family appealed to the health board.
A panel considered the appeal but upheld the decision to remove Grace. However, a three-person panel was subsequently convened by the SEHB at which it was decided Grace would remain at the home, which she did until 2009.
Her case came to light when a whistleblower contacted the Public Accounts Committee urging it to look into the HSE's use of funds in the case.
The previous government committed to a public inquiry and Conor Dignam SC was engaged to write a report on what the inquiry's terms of reference should be.
Among his terms of reference were to examine the procedures followed by the HSE in procuring the services of consultant Conal Devine and of Resilience Ireland to carry out reviews of the case in recent years; the appropriateness and adequacy of these reviews; why they have not been published, and whether they could now be published in full or in redacted form.
Mr McGrath, who received the 300-page Dignam report last week, said he was “still going through it, and will read it carefully in its entirety”.
He said there were a number of administrative matters to be addressed before it could be published. He would then bring it to Government “with a view to its early publication”. He said it was of “paramount importance” to him that Grace and her carers saw the report before publication. “They have not seen it yet,” he said.
“This report is an absolute priority for me. I am not going to tolerate or stand over a process which does not get the absolute truth of the matter. It is my job to look after the interests and wellbeing of vulnerable persons with disabilities and their families. I promised the families of persons with disabilities that they would be my priority.”
He hoped to bring the terms of reference for the public inquiry to the Dáil to be voted on by the end of September, he said.
