Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sure he is aware of the programme. For anyone with any kind of heart or soul, the footage was harrowing to watch. The Taoiseach put it well when he said that there are many levels of crime, but that a crime inflicted on children is possibly the worst form of crime possible.

I want to compliment "RTÉ Investigates" on the work done to highlight this story. The story broke in April 2016 when the perpetrator of the abuse was still saying he was innocent. The women in question decided to come forward and release their names. They have done that in an extremely brave fashion. I have to acknowledge the graphic detail in which they explained exactly what happened to them while in foster care. Keith Burke was sentenced to a seven and a half year prison sentence with a year suspended. However, this story is about Rachel, Amy and Sarah. Rachel is her real name, but Amy and Sarah are pseudonyms. Amy went into foster care when she was a baby. Rachel arrived on the scene when she was approximately seven years of age and made the disclosure aged 11. The two girls developed a friendship. Rachel told the story of how she was repeatedly abused to her mum and once that happened, there was an investigation and a file was sent to the DPP. It is hard to believe that the accused was not prosecuted once that file was sent to the DPP, even though it was found that the assessment of rape was credible. Amy continued to stay in that house. It was also discovered that Sarah had been in the house previously and another boy continued to live there.

We hear stories about the most vulnerable children and those who need assistance or whose families need assistance but we did not provide them with support. We allowed them to continue to live in that house. It was not until 2011 that Amy found the courage to speak out. In the area of mental health, it is said always said that it only takes one person to speak out. Amy found the courage to speak to her teacher. She was 14 years of age and she had been subjected to abuse from 2003. At that stage, she was only three years of age. When she went to her teacher she was 14 years of age.

Where were the checks and balances and the governance? In 2007, when the file went to the DPP, the decision was made to leave those children in that house. Amy did not have the courage to speak up at that stage. She was only a child and did not have the wherewithal to communicate what was happening to her. Her mind could not make sense of it.

As a grown adult myself and having watched that programme, it is really hard to articulate the horrific test of endurance these children were subjected to. Why was an apology only issued by the HSE on Tuesday night? That is the most horrific aspect of all this. Why were those other two children left in that house? What is Tusla now doing about it?

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