The foster father in the southeast abuse controversy contacted then minister for health Michael Noonan to have his "beloved daughter'' kept with the family, Independent TD Clare Daly claimed.

“We do not know what happened after that,’’ she added.

Ms Daly said Minister of State for Health Kathleen Lynch had said Mr Noonan was in no way responsible for "that situation''.

However, “the fact was that a documented case conference decision to remove the young woman from the foster home before August was subsequently reversed in October 1996 and the young woman, ‘Grace’, remained there up until 2009”.

Ms Daly told the Dáil that “people need to know who made the decision, and who will pay the price for the decision’’. Earlier, Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed the Cabinet had agreed a commission of investigation should be established.

He said its setting-up would be subject to the terms of reference being agreed by the Oireachtas elected in the general election.

Mr Kenny said a commission could run parallel with a Garda investigation.

However, it could mean that when the inquiry was completed it could not be published pending elements of what might emerge from the Garda inquiry.

Mr Kenny said the abuse represented “another serious legacy issue’’, particularly in the case of the person known as “Grace’’.

Vulnerable people

“I think it is important to understand there is a great deal of allegations made surrounding this and other issues relating to this particular premises.

“Clearly, the safety and protection of vulnerable people has to be of paramount importance to the State.”

Mr Kenny was replying to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who said a whistleblower had given an account on Claire Byrne's RTÉ television show on Monday night on how an intellectually disabled child, "Grace'', was left in a foster home where she was consistently abused.

"The abuse has been described as quite shocking,'' Mr Martin added. It was incomprehensible a child could be left so long in such a dangerous household.

Scandal

In all, said Mr Martin, an estimated 47 children or adults were involved in the scandal.

He said the case was harrowing and shocked people to the core, particularly given the fact such a young child was left in a vulnerable position for such a prolonged period.

“She was not in a position to speak or to defend herself, and the whistleblower is clear that the most appalling acts were perpetrated in this case.’’

Tánaiste Joan Burton said it was important to define a pathway to the truth to find out what happened to people in the home.

“A significant number of people stayed in the home, in some cases on a permanent basis and, in others, on a temporary basis, for respite care.’’

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the abuse allegations were "the stuff of nightmares''.

He said that there was “a litany of failure and cover-up’’, adding that the Taoiseach should ensure the commission’s terms of reference were discussed with the Opposition spokespersons.

"This is particularly important given there have been a succession of damning reports about the treatment of women and children by the institutions of this State over many decades,'' said Mr Adams.