Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Public Accounts Committee
Business of Committee
10:00 am
Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I agree with Deputies Deasy and Dowds. What is happening is frightening, in particular given that these people are the most vulnerable in society, but I am not surprised. This seems to be a problem across the service. In a case in my constituency, foster parents had a child in their care who was removed from them. For the three years since, they have been trying to get information, but the wagons have been circled. They have been through turmoil, never mind what happened to the poor child who was only two or three years of age when taken from the home. Nothing was proven. It is shocking. That such a culture has been allowed to develop to this extent in supposedly trustworthy State bodies is beyond belief. This is a Government issue and, although the Government cannot manage the running of every State agency, there need to be major changes.