Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)

The final report is not just a catalogue of failure, it is a national disgrace. Let us be clear: this did not happen in the shadows. This happened in the full view of the State, with the knowledge of senior officials and successive governments, which chose to turn a blind eye. What this report exposes is not just incompetence; it is complicity. Children and vulnerable adults were failed again and again, not because they did not know, but because those in power did not care enough to act. Whistleblowers were silenced and not supported. Front-line staff were ignored and not empowered. Instead of accountability we got obstruction, denial and extreme cowardice. Where was the Government and the Ministers? They were sitting on their hands, watching it happen and protecting the system instead of protecting the people they were meant to protect.

This is not an admission of a lack of oversight. It is a political decision, a political culture that prioritises the reputation of a Department over people's lives. The report shields senior management from scrutiny and punishes those who spoke the truth. This culture is shameful, unforgiving and it must end now.

The Government has no right to claim surprise. The red flags were there for everyone to see. The alarm bells were ringing for years, yet nothing at all has changed, because it was easier to sacrifice the vulnerable than to confront the powerful. Therefore, I say to the Government, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and to the Minister who is present: they do not get to wring their hands in sorrow. They were warned. They were told and they have done nothing. Let us not insult the Irish people with soft words and promises. We need action. We need prosecutions, dismissals and to stop the culture of cover-up that plagues this State again and again. If we fail to act and if we allow this to become another report, another scandal, and yet another flippant apology, we are no better than those who looked away. The victims deserve justice, the whistleblowers deserve vindication, and the public deserve a government that does its job.

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