“Grace” Report Highlights Neglect and Failure: Inclusion Ireland Calls for Change

15th April 2025

Inclusion Ireland notes the publication of the long awaited final report of the Farrelly Commission into the ‘Grace’ foster home abuse case.

The report details a long litany of failures, missed opportunities along with the neglect and abuse of Grace.  Whilst the commission does not find there is sufficient evidence that Grace was sexually or physically abused, the truth remains that she was left in appalling circumstances and neglected by her foster family and by the state. This report speaks to how Grace’s basic human rights and dignity were utterly ignored.

“The story of Grace and what she endured should serve as a watershed moment in Ireland. For too long we have witnessed the cycle of outrage after a scandal followed by silence. We must commit wholeheartedly to this never happening to another intellectually disabled person again. We pride ourselves that we have closed many institutions but the legacy of institutionalised thinking lives on. It shows up in the acceptance of this cruel, degrading treatment of a fellow human being for many years without any action. We must demand better for our fellow citizens.”- Derval McDonagh, CEO of Inclusion Ireland.

We note the fact that there will be no phase two of the commission of investigation but instead a non-statutory safeguarding exercise will be undertaken.  The next phases must be clear, transparent and open so that some semblance of justice may be offered to all potential survivors.

Derval McDonagh states “Whilst improvements in safeguarding have been noted in recent years it remains a concern that many disabled people still live in circumstances where abuse is more likely to occur. Until we change the nature of how we support people to be truly focused on their human rights, choices and freedoms, we run the risk of more stories like Grace’s”

We call on the Minister to push for the investigation to be led by an independent expert with open reporting of the findings so that the mantra ‘never again’ can ring true and people with intellectual disabilities and their families can be assured the state wants to learn the lessons that Grace’s horrific story has taught us.

We have created an easy to read document about the Farrelly Commission into the ‘Grace’ foster home abuse case report as there was no accessible or easy to read summary released with the report yesterday, you can access it here.

 

Contact: 

For more information please contact: 

Caoimhe Suipéil, Head of Communications, Inclusion Ireland 

Email: Caoimhe@inclusionireland.ie 

Phone: 086-2265813 

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