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

As I said, on the very day this programme setting out these shocking revelations aired, families were before the court bringing the State to account for a failure to provide places for their children at school. Let me repeat my branding of the practice of compiling and holding files and dossiers on children with autism and their wider families by the HSE, the Department of Health or any other organ of the State for the purposes of facing off legal challenges as absolutely scandalous and shameful. It is a practice that should not be indulged in.

Rather than engaging in distractions, the Taoiseach might answer the questions I put too him. I asked him whether, when he was Minister for health, this practice of compiling files and dossiers of this nature was under way? I also asked him to confirm or deny that this practice continues as we meet here today. I also him to indicate, with regard to the families on whom these dossiers and files were held, whether that has been disclosed to them at this stage.

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