Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It has started in more ways than one.

Yesterday, I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of leniency in the sentences handed down for sexual crimes against women and children. In response, the Taoiseach gave his support for our call for the introduction of sentencing guidelines. I urge him and the Minister for Justice and Equality to support Sinn Féin's amendments to the Judicial Council Bill.

As the Taoiseach is aware, I raise these matters on foot of an RTE "Prime Time" programme aired last night which centred on the case of three young girls who were raped by Keith Burke while in the care of a foster family in County Galway. Shock, heartbreak and anger best describe the reaction of the nation - shock at what the girls were subjected to and anger because of the way in which the agencies of the State, particularly the Health Service Executive, utterly failed to protect the children.

In 2007, Rachel Barry disclosed to the HSE that she had been abused by Keith Burke. Her disclosure was judged to be credible by a subsequent HSE investigation. Rachel also disclosed that a second young girl known as Amy had been raped by Burke. A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, but no prosecution followed. Incredibly, Amy and another child remained living in the Burke family home where Amy remained until she made a disclosure in 2011. For four years after the risk to this young girl was uncovered, she and other children were left in a setting in which the authorities knew they were at severe risk of rape and abuse. This risk, and the failure of State agencies to act, are best emphasised by the fact that a third victim was uncovered as a result of the investigation following Amy's disclosure. These were young girls who were already vulnerable - that is the precise reason they were in foster care - yet the State failed them when they most needed it. This represents another collapse in the systems and processes designed, we had all hoped, to protect and guard vulnerable children. It was not so long ago that the House discussed the harrowing case of Grace. It is an indictment of our system, therefore, that we come here again and again to express rightful outrage while knowing that it is only a matter of time before the next case arises. I am sure the Taoiseach agrees we cannot go on like this. There needs to be accountability. The Government must support the call for an independent inquiry into this case. Will it do so?

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