<p>
	The inquiry into the abuse of &#39;Grace&#39; is to be extended to include 46 other potential victims amid claims of a &quot;major HSE cover-up&quot;.</p>
<p>
	Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath withdrew a motion on the Commission of Investigation yesterday, after Fianna F&aacute;il joined other Opposition parties in arguing that they fell short of the probe required.</p>
<p>
	Fianna F&aacute;il deputy John McGuinness told the D&aacute;il that TDs should be &quot;ashamed&quot; if they passed the original terms of reference which focused heavily on the Grace case, while leaving space for senior counsel Marjorie Farrelly to &#39;scope out&#39; other cases.</p>
<p>
	Mr McGrath argued the inquiry would deal with all potential abuse at a foster home in south-east, but later agreed to rewrite part of the commission&#39;s instructions to &quot;clarify&quot; that Ms Farrelly will investigate all cases.</p>
<p>
	Fianna F&aacute;il&#39;s spokesperson on disability, Margaret Murphy O&#39;Mahony, said the new terms of reference &quot;are now explicit in the need to cover all those who were living in the home in question, and not just Grace herself&quot;. &quot;In addition, the terms of reference provide clear and explicit recognition of the need to include the whistleblowers that brought these allegations into the public domain.&quot;</p>
<p>
	In the D&aacute;il, Fine Gael TD for Waterford John Deasy cautioned colleagues against &quot;accepting anything said by the HSE on this matter&quot;.</p>
<p>
	Casualty</p>
<p>
	&quot;Deputy McGuinness and myself discovered that, in dealing with the HSE on this issue, the first casualty was always the truth,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	Mr Deasy alleged that while the HSE was given legal advice to make Grace a ward of court, they avoided this &quot;because they had concerns about a judge asking awkward questions&quot;.</p>
<p>
	He said the HSE was faced with choices but chose to avoid &quot;a disastrous day in court, as it would appear the HSE had done nothing&quot;.</p>
<p>
	&quot;It is pretty twisted stuff. It is almost Kafkaesque,&quot; he said. &quot;It was a concerted and organised attempt to hide information and conceal the truth by a clique of HSE managers.</p>
<p>
	&quot;It was an orchestrated attempt to protect officials and an organisation who failed people in State care in a catastrophic manner on a number of levels.&quot;</p>
<p>
	Mr McGuinness said Grace &quot;was battered, bruised, sexually abused ... deprived of her money and neglected&quot;.</p>
<p>
	Meanwhile, in a statement issued through their solicitors, the whistleblowers who highlighted Grace&#39;s plight criticised the original terms of reference proposed by the Government.</p>
<p>
	Examine</p>
<p>
	The two social workers said the commission was only being allowed examine an alleged cover-up between 2009 and 2016, when a report by Conor Dignam SC had recommended this should be looked at back as far as 1996.</p>
<p>
	Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: &quot;There is no point, on a matter of such sensitivity and personal tragedy, in having political differences of opinion.</p>
<p>
	&quot;Let us make sure that it is right and proper, comprehensive and that it covers all of the issues that deputies have quite rightly raised.</p>
<p>
	&quot;This is a matter of genuine public interest and considerable public concern,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	(Published by the Irish Independent on the 9th March 2017)</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/grace-inquiry-to-be-extended-amid-claims-of-a-coverup-by-hse-35514865.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/grace-inquiry-to-be-extended-amid-claims-of-a-coverup-by-hse-35514865.html</a></p>
