Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is ignoring circumstances where a decision is based on a flawed understanding of the case or a strange letter which appears in the file. Surely there is a need to refer a case of this nature to a different deciding officer. If it is referred back to the original officer, he or she will be required to admit that he or she made a mistake. I have serious concerns about this matter. Having tabled a number of parliamentary questions in respect of it, I discovered that, first, the file had gone missing and then that the social worker had disappeared. This matter raises some significant issues for the Department. It also gives rise to questions about the probity of some of the decisions made. In view of the serious nature of these matters, will the Minister refer the case to which I refer to the Secretary General of the Department in order that someone might consider it anew and carry out a full review of the circumstances involved?

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