Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I understand the HSE sought legal advice relating to Ann in 2012, despite the fact there were serious problems of abuse from 1995 and the HSE took no action. The HSE tried to persuade the family not to send Ann into the abusive care. Why did it not close it down and put a stop to it? It took the HSE another three years from the time of the legal advice to send a letter which was, as Mr. O'Brien stated in his remarks, "demanding the foster family cease all care activity". Then and only then was Ann's family written to formally to request that they cease the placement. Surely that is gross incompetence.