Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The two reports published at 11 a.m. today on the failures in a foster home in Waterford, where 47 children were placed over two decades until 2013, are utterly shocking, as has been said. They have been correctly described by the Irish Examiner as 20 years of horror for one of the children, Grace, a young woman with profound special needs who was left in a foster home for almost 20 years. It is an extraordinary and appalling situation. There was no intervention or interaction with Grace in her foster placement and various people who were directly involved in her case failed to discharge their duty of care to her.

There are many commitments to child protection in the programme for Government. It is important that the House takes time to debate the two reports in the most meaningful and fullest way possible. The HSE has already offered an unreserved and heartfelt apology to all of those affected by the significant failures of the former south eastern health board. There is an issue of culture regarding the protection of children, who does what and when and protecting people despite reports. There is a governance issue.

Fundamental issues that go to the heart of protecting children in our society should be debated by the House. I ask that time be put aside next week to facilitate such a debate, taking on board the commitments in the programme for Government around the protection of children and improvements to our child care protection system.

In preparing for that debate, adequate time should be provided to all Deputies, in particular those from larger parties, who want to make a contribution to such a debate. I welcome the establishment of a commission of investigation, which was a good decision, but it should not preclude the fullest debate possible taking place in the House.

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