Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this important debate on the establishment of a commission of investigation into the Grace case. As the centenary of the issuing of the 1916 Proclamation is still fresh in our memories and the stated aim of the Proclamation being a new Irish republic "cherishing all the children of the nation equally", there are few more stark examples of how the reality of life in the Republic has failed to live up to the ideals of the signatories of the Proclamation than the treatment of Grace.

It is the solemn duty of the House to represent not only the concerns of citizens who are not present on the floor of the Chamber, but the concerns of those citizens who cannot for whatever reason speak for themselves.

That is why I welcome and commend this motion. I consider it to be an opportunity to finally make things right for Grace. It is a chance for this House to make an honest, collective pledge that what was done to her was wrong and that it is incumbent on us to get to the truth. Grace is entitled to that, at the very least. As a society, we owe it to Grace to be fully honest, to investigate fully and lay bare the facts of what happened, regardless of consequences. To paraphrase an ancient Latin proverb, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall”.

The Conal Devine report, published last week, examined why Grace was forgotten for a period of 20 years and was unmonitored by the health services for long periods of time. However, questions remain unanswered, the most fundamental being how the initial placement of Grace in the foster home at the centre of the abuse allegations was supposed to be a short-term arrangement, yet Grace remained there for 20 years.

This debate is not just about Grace, it is about the entitlement of every citizen in the care of the State. It is incumbent on the State to ensure the safety and protection of all vulnerable people in its care. Every person who uses disability services, every resident of a nursing home, every patient in a hospital or an approved mental health centre in this country is entitled to expect and to receive care of the highest standard and to live in dignity and safety. Every family of a service user places their trust in the State to ensure their loved one receive the best possible care with kindness and compassion.

It is only right that the immediate focus of the commission should be the treatment of Grace. However, I am pleased to note that the terms of reference provide the commission with the means to identify other issues to be investigated, including those regarding other individuals who spent time in the foster home in question.

This is a difficult topic for many of us to speak about because it is associated with one of the most painful, traumatic and heart-rending stories that we have heard in living memory. At the end of the day, all most of us can do is try to imagine and sincerely try to understand. We can never give Grace back those 20 years she lost but we can establish the truth. It is the least that she deserves. That will be Grace’s legacy. From the bottom of my heart, I wish the commission the best of success in its endeavours.

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