Mr. Tom Cronin:

On behalf of Dr. Lodato and on my own behalf, I thank the committee for allowing us the opportunity to address it today. We understand we are here to discuss our concern regarding Caranua. We will address some of these concerns but we are mindful that Caranua has announced that it is to close. In its place the Minister for Education and Skills has put forward proposals. We must look to the future and the committee will appreciate that our focus today must therefore be on the measures announced by the Minister. Caranua was meant to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society but it failed to do so. As a former member of the board of the organisation, I can state this with the utmost truth and confidence. It failed to listen to or even meet survivors. How could it help people if it refused to communicate with them, find out what their needs and worries were and help to alleviate them?

What happened to us as children was a shame on the nation but what has been done to us since is a greater shame. As a survivor, I have experienced the anger, hurt, despair and frustration of engaging with the redress commission and other State-established resources. As a survivor advocate for more than 20 years and a former board member of Caranua, I have personally witnessed many survivors experiencing the same. These schemes and the State’s response to our past have failed on an ongoing fashion for one reason, namely, they never listened to survivor needs. We did not have a voice in the decisions that affected our lives in such a difficult manner. The committee today has a wonderful opportunity to put right the wrongs; it has a duty to do everything possible to get this mess fixed. Let this opportunity indicate that members have listened to survivors and have their interests at heart.