Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry. It was a very open and frank discussion. It is probably one of the most sobering presentations we have had. I have been observing progress accordingly as the reports have been produced and since I became spokesperson on children. The first report of which I became aware was the annual report from June 2016 and that is where I will start. It stated that in the course of 2015 the children's team received 175 notifications that alerted the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, to potential risks to the health, safety and well-being of the residents. Of a total of 72 notifications related to allegations of abuse, 29 of those allegations related to abuse by relatives, 19 related to allegations of abuse by care staff or professionals, and 17 related to allegations of peer to peer abuse. The document is very well put together. If I have learnt anything this morning it is that, first, Garda vetting is not working; second, there are not enough social care workers, which we have known for some time; and three, there are not enough HIQA staff members either. Will Ms Dunnion elaborate on what happens when an item is presented to her at an inspection concerning a significant risk? An unannounced visit was carried out on a special care unit last year where a child was missing. What happens in such a case? What happens in cases where significant risk is identified, as that is of the most serious concern?

HIQA was visiting the foster care services in November, including Care Visions. I refer to a significant risk regarding the safety and protection of children. We have another one as well. There were two of them, actually, regarding significant risk to service delivery and child protection. That was down in the midlands. HIQA was in the midlands, which is why we are here. There is the significant risk and the safeguarding. That was huge because there were at least four to five significant risks in that report. Where significant risks are identified, where is the communication? Where is the repeat investigation? What is the timeline for that? It is the most crucial thing. I look at 2015 and those 72 allegations. Where are we with them at this moment in time?