Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I hope to deal with this issue in a sensitive way. I wish to discuss the Brandon report. This is something I have been raising with the HSE for some time. I had hoped it could be dealt with sensitively, delicately, privately and professionally. Unfortunately, this has not been the case and I feel I have been left with no choice but to raise this publicly.

The Brandon report contains an investigation into multiple incidents of sexual abuse that took place at Ard na Gréine disability residential home in Stranorlar, County Donegal, and details poor management at this facility. Initially, the HSE in Donegal conducted an internal report into the matter. At the same time, I had discussed this issue with the previous Minister of State, Finian McGrath, who requested a separate report from the HSE in Dublin. I am very glad I did this. It is clear that the HSE management in Donegal could not be trusted. It seems they attempted a cover-up, due to the fact that the two reports did not match up. Following this, the matter was referred on to an independent body, which drafted the Brandon report. The report was then passed on to the HSE, which has had the report since February 2020 and has chosen to take absolutely no action on it.

A whistleblower first raised this issue in 2008 and since then has been in touch with the HSE, HIQA and the Garda in relation to it. This person had great faith in whistleblower procedures and in the system but the system has let them down because I am standing here 13 years later, having exhausted all possible avenues, and still nothing has been done. This fact is incredibly concerning. I was first approached by this whistleblower in October 2016. I was appalled to hear of the shocking incidents that had taken place in this home and I was even more appalled to hear that no action had been taken on this. The whistleblower informed me of the sexual assaults of up to 19 different residents.

When HSE management was made aware of this, it isolated the alleged offender and following this the incidents stopped. The alleged offender was then inexplicably returned back among fellow residents and the abuse began again.

To my knowledge, this report has gone to the highest level in the HSE. Those at the highest level in the HSE have known about this for over a decade and they have decided not only just to sit on it, but to make an effort to cover it up. I would call on the Minister of State to find out who exactly in the HSE is aware of this report and whether this has gone to the board of the HSE.

Although these incidents took place a while ago, the cover-up is still ongoing. Not only is it completely outrageous that this has been allowed to happen, but how can we expect future whistleblowers to feel supported, protected and listened to when disclosing possible wrongdoings if this is not being acted on? How can we expect people to trust the system and trust these institutions if they are all choosing to ignore such astonishing wrongdoings?

I call on the Minister of State to address this with the upmost urgency. I call on her to read the Brandon report and investigate why action has not been taken on this issue. I call on the Minister of State to put in place procedures to ensure this does not happen again, which is most important. We must do this in order to protect the integrity of institutions and procedures in this country, and most importantly, we owe it to the families of all who have been affected. These are families that have been left in the dark and have had no acknowledgement of the terrible wrongdoings that have occurred at Ard na Gréine. These families need and deserve to see the full report and people need to be reassured that something like this can never happen again.

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