Students attending an Irish language summer school in Connemara were accommodated in the Naughton household during the early 1980s. Patrick Naughton was jailed last week for sexually abusing his daughter. He is also believed to have assaulted his wife.
A woman who had stayed in the house in the early 1980s told The Irish Times that she was one of a group of young girls attending a local Irish college. "Nothing ever happened to me or my friends, to my knowledge, but I am shocked to think that we were allowed to stay there, with all that has been revealed since.
"It would seem that a social worker was aware of some of what was happening to Mrs Naughton," the woman said. She is now married with young children and does not wish to be identified.
Last week, Mr Naughton's wife told RTÉ radio's Liveline programme that a social worker "was on the case" after she had been attacked by her husband on several occasions. She said that did not know that her eldest daughter had been repeatedly raped from the age of nine by her husband until 1997, when the young woman reported it.
"Back in those years, 1977 and '78, it was tough," Mrs Naughton said. "There wasn't much support. I was in and out of hospitals and they knew - they had my medical records. There was a social worker on the case all the time."
She said she had tried to leave home on several occasions, and even stayed in a refuge in Galway city, but returned because her husband would not let her take her children away with her.
The young woman said that her family was very upset to learn the full details of the case, even though she had reassured them that nothing had happened to her or to her friends.
The Irish-language college declined to make any comment yesterday. The Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands confirmed that the Naughton house had been approved for students from 1990 to 1994, but could neither confirm nor deny earlier dates yesterday.
A spokesman said it was endeavouring to confirm what accommodation approval arrangements were in place for students attending summer courses during this period.
Garda clearance to care for children is now required for households taking in Irish college students. Regulations were tightened in 1999, and also require that a householder sign a statement to say that no complaints had been received against it.
Alison O'Connor adds:
The Opposition is expected to put the Government under pressure on the Molloy controversy when the Dáil resumes on Wednesday after the Easter break.
The former minister of state, Mr Bobby Molloy is expected to make a personal statement to the House on the circumstances surrounding his resignation.
Government sources were insisting last night they would not be seen as trying to avoid the issue. The Opposition could have "as much time as they want" to raise questions on Mr Molloy's representations in the Naughton court case and the handling of queries by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue.
"The Taoiseach's view is that we do not want to be seen to be running away from this. We are going to stand our ground and answer the questions. If they want to sit until 2 a.m. we will let them," said one senior Fianna Fáil source.
Meanwhile, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, repeated that Mr Molloy had made an "honest mistake" and did not think that she should have been any harder in her criticism of his actions.
The correspondence which he had forwarded to the Minister for Justice making inquiries about the Naughton case showed that Mr Molloy had "total devotion" to his constituency.
