There is criticism over the handling of sex abuse allegations made aagainst a member of a foster care family.

An RTÉ Investigations Unit report found that children were left in a west of Ireland foster home for years, in spite of the allegations being made.

A young girl placed in the foster home made abuse allegation against a teenage family member in 2007.

She was removed from the home, but a boy and a girl remained with the foster family.

The report on RTÉ's 'Prime Time' found that the second girl also made abuse allegations, four years later.

She was removed from the home, but the boy remained with the family for another year.

A prosecution is being taken in relation to the abuse allegations - most of them relating to the second girl.

Abuse survivour Louise O'Keeffe won her case in the European Court of Human Rights in 2014, which ruled the Irish State was liable for the sexual abuse she suffered as a child in national school.

She gave her reaction to the programme on Newstalk Lunchtime.

Grainia Long is the chief executive of the ISPCC. She told Newstalk Breakfast earlier timely intervention is critical.

Acting chief executive of Foster Care Ireland, Breda O'Donovan, says this is the exception rather than the rule.

EPIC is a group that works with young people.

Its director Jennifer Gargan says the major failing in this case is that all children were not removed straight away.