‘Foster home’ carer denies ‘cruel’ abuse allegations

The woman who ran a “foster home” in the southeast, which is to be the focus of a commission of investigation, has denied allegations that children suffered serious sexual abuse in the house.

She described allegations of sexual abuse in the house as “nothing but lies” and “cruel”.

Speaking to The Irish Times at her home yesterday, she said she loved "Grace", the severely intellectually disabled and mute young woman who was left in her care until 2009, 13 years after other South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) placements in the home ceased.

She said the SEHB could have removed Grace had they wanted to do so in 1996.

But a social worker, who she said was now dead, had told her Grace could remain and she was to keep her safe.

The social worker told her that because Grace was 18, she was no longer under the care of the health board.

“They told me I could keep her. If they were trying to move her in 1996, why didn’t they move her then? I was trying to keep her.

“Yes, I loved her. She was like my own, but they could have moved her if they wanted her.

“They said, ‘Do you want to keep her?’ and I said, ‘Yes’. She was like my own. She was very happy here.

“The social worker told me not to let [Grace] go to anybody, to keep her here.

“Then I rang the health board asking to know if they would give me any money to keep her and they said, ‘No’, because when she was 18 she wasn’t their concern any more. That was the end of it.”

Grace was placed in the home in 1989, aged 11.

Adoption application

The woman said she and her husband had tried to adopt Grace but were turned down because her husband, who was 20 years her senior, was too old.

Her husband died more than 15 years ago.

Asked about the alleged bruises sustained by Grace, which were examined at a hospital at the request of a social worker, she said: “Ah stop. That was utter rubbish.

“How could she have been sexually abused when I was looking after her?”