The Dáil has heard claims that the foster family at the centre of the Grace case still had children in its care until 2015.

That is six years after Grace was withdrawn from the home over fears of alleged sexual abuse at the home in the south-east.

It was previously thought that the final person had been removed from the home in 2013 – but Independents4Change TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace said someone was there for two further years.

Deputy Wallace said that the HSE washed its hands of the problem, because the final girl in the family’s care was put there privately.

“For the HSE to actually say ‘Oh, we didn’t put anyone… there’s no-one in that home now…’ – there was a girl there in 2015! They wouldn’t tell the family … ‘Oh, we wouldn’t recommend you put her there’,” he said.

“They didn’t tell her why. Because they didn’t want to lift the lid!”

If the claims are true, it would mean the foster family was continuing to take people into its care, a full six years after Grace was removed.

The Dáil is due to continue debating the terms of reference this morning.