John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If I may make a point based on a point the Chairman just made, I am sure Ms Spillane is aware that the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, has looked at this. There were five files. He did not proceed. Obviously, she is also aware that many of the people involved in this are non-verbal and the likelihood of them testifying was always very slim, and that one of the alleged perpetrators is dead. The issue, and it was raised by the whistleblower on television last night, is that the Department has professional sanctions for, say, care workers but when it comes to a certain level within the health services, there are very few sanctions.

One of the concerns is that the Acts cover the period from 2006 onwards, such that if it was the case that reckless endangerment or professional negligence was involved, the Acts would not cover the period prior to that. Is Ms Spillane concerned that in the area of foster care, when it comes to the management and administration of it, the regulation is not sufficient to provide the kinds of protection that vulnerable children need in this country? Surely, one of the lessons we have got to learn from this is that people can make decisions, frankly, not care, go about their business and that there be no accountability. Is it, after all of this, a concern within the Department that that has occurred in the way it has and are there plans to change that?