Overview
- Judge Lorcan Staines recommended a six‑phase Commission of Investigation and the Government has accepted that recommendation.
- The Staines report, published Thursday, July 16, 2026, identified roughly 400 people who say they were abused by Shine and said his victims were left profoundly let down.
- The Department of Health will draft the inquiry's terms of reference and consult the Attorney General before appointing a chair for the statutory Commission.
- Victims and the campaign group Dignity4Patients welcomed the move as a step toward recognition and a chance for survivors to give evidence publicly or privately.
- The inquiry will examine specific failings by Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, the North Eastern Health Board, the Medical Council, An Garda Síochána and the DPP and could prompt wider changes to how abuse claims are handled.