Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We support the terms of reference and recognise the work the Minister of State has done, in terms of bringing Grace herself to the centre of this and also in including the other children. The case concerns 47 intellectually disabled children altogether. Can the Minister of State tell me how Grace is doing now? Does she have the care, supports and services that she needs? Do her mother and the rest of her family have the supports that they need? Perhaps the Minister of State could reassure us on that.

The question is why Grace was abandoned by those who had the duty to ensure she received the care she desperately needed, as a vulnerable human being and as a citizen of the State. One of the survivors of the mother and baby institutions who was here earlier said to me that it was a matter of trust. She said they trusted those in authority and those who were there to care for them, and that trust was broken. She asked how they could ever trust anybody again. It is similar with Grace. Her family trusted the institutions of the State and the professionals involved to make the right choices and decisions around Grace's care. That trust was violated. It will take a lot for the Minister of State and the institutions in his charge to build up that trust again.

As I stand here today there are many cases going through the system. There are cases with An Garda Síochána at the moment concerning people with disabilities who have been abused in the care of those institutions. Has the Minister of State quantified those cases? Can he tell us how many cases are currently with the Garda or the DPP, or have been reported by whistleblowers? Maybe he can get that information for us. It is very important that we know.

I would also like the Minister of State's assurance, in terms of this investigation and the commission, about what will happen when he comes across people who refuse to give or who conceal information. Do we have mechanisms available to sanction those people in a timely way? Can we address that matter so that there are not more lies being told or information concealed, and so that we will not be spending State money on trying to get to the bottom of untruths?Does the Minister of State know who stopped the 2012 report by Conal Devine from being published until now and who stopped the 2015 report from being published? Perhaps he could give us that information.

I have worked in the community and voluntary sector and collective decisions are made in these cases. It is obvious that there was an intervention. Something happened that caused that collective decision to be overturned. It is extremely unusual that such a decision would be overturned. I wish the Minister of State well with the inquiry. I hope it gets to the truth because that is what is needed, along with an assurance that this will never happen again.