Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

These questions are central and germane and they could be answered now, if the Taoiseach's Ministers took the trouble to ask the questions and had the legal power to insist on getting answers. As leader of this Government, the Taoiseach has a clear responsibility to find out what the current situation is. I asked him if he could give us a guarantee that none of the people involved in decision making around the Grace case are currently involved in child protection services. The Taoiseach can find that out today if he has a will to do so. He has a responsibility to give that guarantee to ensure that other children are not being put in danger.

The other question is in respect of the gardaí. The Taoiseach can find out today if the gardaí are involved in investigating a criminal case in respect of sexual abuse and, secondly, in respect of reckless endangerment by State staff. We need those answers now. The Taoiseach should stop kicking these issues down the road into a commission of investigation. He should do his duty, take his responsibility seriously and provide those answers to us now.

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