Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I do not expect the Taoiseach to recall the detail of this case. I wrote to the Tánaiste about it on 24 March asking her to investigate the policies, procedures and practices of the Health Service Executive in this area. I appreciate that the Tánaiste has other pressures on her. I know that, like me, she met the O'Hara family recently. However, the Taoiseach has missed the point if he believes that the actions of the HSE personnel were caused by threats made to them or that the children were at risk. There is no evidence to bear that out and the judge made that clear. Furthermore, this is not the only family that has been treated in this fashion. The Taoiseach has missed the basis of the point I raised, which was that it was a gross abuse of authority and an act of vindictiveness by personnel employed by the Health Services Executive in that particular area. When they were negotiating for a care package, it was not forthcoming. How is it that if the family concerned was deemed to be at sufficient risk to be taken into care, in the seven weeks that have transpired since the court caused them to be returned to their parents, nobody in the HSE has even made a telephone call to know how they are? The Taoiseach is seriously misinformed if he believes that there is justification, despite the judgment of the court in this matter.

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