In what can only be described as a shocking revelation, the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has revealed that he had knowledge about the abuse allegations at a foster home in the southeast of the country a number of years ago.
Mr Noonan recently confirmed to RTE that he did indeed receive a letter outlining the abuse by a foster father at the centre of the controversy almost 20 years ago back in 1996. Mr Noonan told RTE that although he received the letter he “had no clear memory of it” until he reviewed records recently.
Mr Noonan explained: “I did check the position with the Department of Health and seemingly two letters arrived – one to me and one to the junior minister of health Austin Currie.” “And the letter to me, I got my officials to contact the southeastern health board and my understanding of it was that the person would be removed from foster care, but subsequently, information came through that there was some kind of appeal, and that that [the removal of the person] didn’t happen.”
The Finance Minister went onto say that after the “data” was sent to the Minister for State at the time, he had himself had no further involvement the case. Mr Noonan said: “After that, because it was concerning the possible abuse of a child, the data went to the Minister of State who had responsibility for Children , and I’m not sure what happened after that.”
“I had no further contact after that and I have the power to direct and I didn’t direct, but the initial information I got was: yes there was an issue, that a child was removed, and then subsequently then I forget the detail but it was some kind of appeal process and the decision of whoever took it down in the southeast wasn’t implemented at that point, and then it went on to Minister Austin Currie.”
The news of Mr Noonan’s knowledge of the case will surely upset many victims and families who were abused at the foster home which was built to look after children with disabilities. The alleged abuse has become a national scandal after it was revealed that a girl known only as ‘Grace’ was subjected to horrendous abuse between 1983 and 1995.