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Norma Foley to meet 'Grace' solicitor over report concerns

'Grace' is the pseudonym of a woman now in her 40s who has been in the care of the State all her life (Stock image)
'Grace' is the pseudonym of a woman now in her 40s who has been in the care of the State all her life (Stock image)

Minister for Children Equality and Disability Norma Foley is to meet the solicitor who represents the interests of 'Grace', the woman at the centre of the Farrelly Commission of Investigation report.

'Grace' is the pseudonym of a woman, now in her 40s, who has been in the care of the State all her life.

She has profound intellectual disabilities and is non-verbal.

The development comes after the representative issued a statement claiming that extensive submissions made to the commission by lawyers representing the woman were not included or referred to in any way in the its final report.

The statement was issued, via the Courts Service, by General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court Marie Claire Butler.

Ms Butler is the High Court appointed representative for 'Grace', and requested a meeting with Minister Foley.

The minister is now arranging to meet with her to discuss the concerns she has raised.

Ms Butler said she was releasing the statement because she felt it was in the public interest and in the interests of Grace.

She said that Grace was represented at the commission by senior counsel, junior counsel and a solicitor.

Prior to the final report, she said, this legal team made "considered and extensive submissions" to the commission on behalf of Grace.

Ms Butler said it appeared these submissions had not been included nor referred to in any way in the report.

She said she could not comment any further on the case due to the confidential nature of wardship, but she said she was bringing the statement to the attention of the media as it was her belief it was in the public interest to do so.

There has been significant criticism of the €13 million investigation into allegations that Grace was seriously abused while in foster care.

The commission, chaired by Senior Counsel Marjorie Farrelly, found there was a fundamental failure on the part of the South Eastern Health Board and HSE in their duty of care to Grace.

It found evidence of serious neglect and financial mismanagement, but did not find any evidence of sexual or emotional abuse.

The commission, which was set up in 2017, cost in the region of €13.6m. Its final report ran to almost 2,000 pages.

A planned second phase of the investigation involving the placement of 47 other children at the same foster home is not now going ahead.

The office of the Commission of Investigation has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, Inclusion Ireland has said that the exclusion of Grace's legal submission from the commission's report was a "deeply worrying development".

The organisation's CEO, Derval McDonagh, said: "Non-speaking people deserve the same access to justice as every other person living in this State.

"We demand a full investigation and a public statement on the rationale for this omission, the omission of Grace's voice."