Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Public Accounts Committee

HSE Report on Foster Home in Waterford Community Care Area: Discussion

12:00 pm

Photo of John DeasyJohn Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Hang on a minute. Mr. O'Brien has got to let me finish. Again, the kernel of this is the public interest dimension. Now Mr. O'Brien has admitted the mistakes and the failings - we know the detail of the allegations involved and we know the people who are still within the system in many cases while some have moved on to other organisations dealing with child protection. The reality is that a previous Garda investigation collapsed. This second Garda investigation may not go anywhere and commissions of investigation take time. People retire or leave the system. The people who are actually charged with making these mistakes remain in situ and have access to files and e-mails and are sitting on potential evidence. That is a big issue. If Mr. O'Brien is so frustrated legally and is saying "Oh my God I cannot do anything ... these people", has he asked anyone whether or not there needs to be a change of course with regard to his powers internally? If it is the case that he is going crazy in not being able to deal with this and not being able to make these people account for themselves, has he just given up and left it at that? Is that effectively the answer to the committee here today?

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