merrion street

When Sergeant McCabe and Mrs McCabe contacted my office I immediately offered to meet them.

I met with Sergeant Maurice McCabe and Mrs Lorraine McCabe, on the 25th of January last, and heard for the first time of their experience with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I was extremely concerned for their individual situation and the serious impact it has had on Sergeant McCabe,
his wife and their family.

The Government has agreed to establish a Commission of Investigation to investigate matters relating to two disclosures made by members of the
Garda Siochana, under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. This will of course include the actions of Tusla in this regard. It is likely that this
investigation will take some time, given the complexity of the case and the number of agencies involved.

This individual case, and the public response to the mistakes made, has shown again the necessity that agencies invested with responsibility for
such important, sensitive and complex work can be trusted to be both competent and fair in their procedures and practices. I am concerned to
know, and the public requires reassurance, that the mistakes acknowledged in this case cannot arise again in Tusla’s Child Protection and Welfare
Services.

As Minister with responsibility for Tusla, I have asked HIQA, the Health Information Quality Authority, to undertake an independent Statutory
Investigation, under Section 9 of the Health Act 2007, into how Tusla manages allegations of child abuse.

In conjunction with the CEO of HIQA, Mr Phelim Quinn, the terms of reference for the Statutory Investigation will be drawn up as a priority to
ensure a focussed and timely Investigation. I intend to seek advice from the Attorney General, to ensure that its work does not interfere with the
work of the Commission of Inquiry.

I will be making the Terms of Reference public as soon as possible and I will be seeking to have the investigation concluded as quickly as possible.