Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an tAire Stáit. The issue I raise is of great sensitivity. It is an issue many politicians and others would prefer not to receive in their in-tray because of the seriousness of the allegations involved in the case, the passage of time and the fact there are several interconnected issues. There is the question of whether a crime took place which should have been investigated and which would have led to a prosecution. The is also the question of the custody of a child, the fitness of particular persons to have custody of that child, the conduct of the courts and the role of the State in entrusting a child to the custody of a person whom she alleges abused her. There is also the question of the role of the legal team or teams who acted for that child and who were her protector and questions about how they discharged their duties. These are the matters which arise in this case.

It is not my place or role nor do I purport to make any definitive judgment on the various allegations made by members of the Bland family in this forum. However, I have met Ms Sarah Bland and her mother and the allegations they have made have been raised in the Northern Ireland Assembly and have been made a matter of public record elsewhere. I believe the allegation that Ms Bland was abused and that such abuse was caused or perpetuated by the failure of legal representatives and or agents of this State and their claims that there ought to have been prosecutions on foot of the allegations made and, consequently, they are owed apologies and compensation by the State and others are all matters that call for investigation by a proper authority.

This case has been debated on two occasions by the Northern Assembly. It was alleged in the Belfast Telegraph that, at first, the members of the Bland family in question had great difficulty in getting Government officials in this jurisdiction to agree to a meeting and that, on foot of the matter being raised in the Northern Ireland Assembly by a number of very prominent Northern politicians, a meeting took place at which I believe the Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Seán Aylward, was due to be present.

Arising out of these matters with which I am trying to deal in a manner that is fair and sensitive and given that this matter has been raised with me by Ms Sarah Bland, her mother, Ms Trish Bland, and by a senior member of the Northern Assembly, I would be grateful for answers on the following issues. Given that a meeting took place, what was the outcome of that meeting and what is the view of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform of the Bland case? Does the Department propose the establishment of any kind of inquiry into the various allegations to establish whether the State failed in its obligations? Does it believe all necessary steps have been taken to establish whether criminal offences have been committed?

The reason this issue was raised in the context of the Ryan report is because that report documented in very stark and revealing terms the extensive failure of, among others, the State to take the steps necessary to ensure children being entrusted to third parties or to the care of third parties were not abused by them. There is a need for victims of abuse to be believed. This is a key issue for people who have been abused and it is certainly the view of Ms Sarah Bland that their case has not been properly considered-----