The terms of reference for a commission of investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at a foster home in the southeast will be brought before Cabinet today.
The inquiry relates to the care and protection of a young woman with intellectual disabilities, known as 'Grace', who was left in the foster home for almost 20 years.
It will investigate the 1996 decision to remove 'Grace' from the foster home following allegations of sexual abuse and the subsequent reversal to leave her there following representations from the foster father.
In the wake of that decision the foster father wrote to the then-minister for health Michael Noonan asking him to intervene to have 'Grace' remain at the foster home.
The commission is likely to question Mr Noonan as part of its investigation.
Mr Noonan has previously denied claims that he intervened in the subsequent decision to leave 'Grace' in the foster home.
A copy of the terms has been seen by RTÉ Investigates and the terms will examine the circumstances of the 'Grace' case alone.
Among the items on the commission's agenda are how the family came to be used as foster carers, any monitoring of the foster home and the decision not to remove 'Grace' from the foster placement.
It will also investigate whether there were any political interventions in the decision-making process in 'Grace's' care and claims of a deliberate suppression of information relating to the case in recent years.
The commission will decide on completion of its work if any further investigations are required in the public interest.
But families of other service users who spent time at the foster home have expressed upset that their cases will not be investigated as part of the inquiry.
Solicitor Sinead Carroll says the terms of reference should have been widened to include the 46 other service users who spent any time in the foster home in question.
Ms Carroll, who is representing a significant number of former service users at the home, also criticised Minister of State Finian McGrath for failing to provide the terms of reference to the families and former service users in advance of publication.
Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness has also said it is important that the other 46 families were also included in the investigation.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr McGuinness said all of the cases needed to be investigated in order to understand the extent of the abuse, the failure of the system to care for those 47 individuals and the level of care provided afterwards.
He added that the whistleblower reports should be central to the inquiry.
The commission is expected to begin its work shortly and will complete a report within 12 months.
