Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader again for a debate on the State's response to the abuses perpetrated on this child while in foster care. We should also hear why it took so long to publish the Conal Devine report and the Resilience Ireland report. There has been a five-year delay since the reports were prepared.

We must also hear about the other children who were placed in the home. We now know from the findings that have been publicised that 47 children were placed in the same home between 1985 and 2013. Some reports suggest that there are a number of other cases that require further examination and where there is a suggestion that similar abuse occurred. It would be good to have a debate once we see the reports published in full. It would be good to have a debate that focuses, in particular, on the State's response and on what can be done to ensure accountability, as others have said. The key issues are accountability and ensuring that such abuse simply will not be able to happen again. Some colleagues of mine, who practice in the area of child care and children law, have expressed their fears. Notably, the solicitor, Ms Catherine Ghent, expressed her fear today on radio, in response to the reports, that cases like this can and do still happen and called on everyone to be mindful of proper processes. She warned about the lack of resources available to social workers that would allow them to visit foster care homes and ensure there is adequate monitoring and supervision of children placed in homes even now.This is not just an historical matter. It really does affect child welfare now in this country and we should have that debate. I ask the Leader to facilitate that, perhaps next week or as soon as possible, once we have had a chance to absorb the report.

I join with others in expressing concern at the prospect of the Bus Éireann strike next week and, in particular, at the letters that were sent to workers yesterday by the board of Bus Éireann expressing its intent to proceed with the changes to be made. I also join with others in calling for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the House. I know he will be before the transport committee but he needs to take a much more active role in seeking to ensure the strike does not go ahead and that talks may proceed at the Workplace Relations Commission. We would all very much hope to see some resolution reached before an all-out strike is commenced.