Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Does the Minister accept that the Deputies who are participating in the debate this evening are not pressing for the exposure of the names or any other means of identification of the children or families concerned? Will he indicate therefore his agreement to publish all of the reports, given that they must contain the outline of the tragic circumstances that applied in each of these cases of children in State care, recommendations as to how to better address the care needs of those children and others in similar circumstances and to allow us the opportunity to debate how to ensure the implementation of those recommendations?

There is some doubt as to the exact number of reports but reference has been made to 20. How many of the reports, if any, were referred to the Ombudsman for Children, the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Garda Síochána? Those three bodies would and should all have an interest in those reports, especially where there are tragic circumstances involved and questions as to the care regime that was in place.

The report from HIQA on Ballydowd was presented in the course of the tenure of the Minister, Deputy Barry Andrews. That report stated that there were serious deficits in standards aimed at safeguarding vulnerable children, including lapses in vetting procedures for staff and foster carers working with children. What has the Minister done to ensure that situation no longer applies in any other care setting today or into the future?

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