Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This report reveals a clerical establishment that wilfully ignored what can only be described as an epidemic of abuse. It reveals a picture of rogue clerics preying on successive generations and being facilitated in this by the church authorities. What emerges is an attitude on the part of the church that sees children as objects rather than human beings. They were objects of temptation for so-called "weak" priests. The little action that was taken was about helping the priest to resist "temptation"— the children were apparently irrelevant. The perceived precedence of the church's reputation over all other considerations led to untold suffering.

The authority enjoyed by the church at the time was something that was valued not just by that institution but also by many other conservative forces in society. The inability or unwillingness of the Garda to take action on this matter is a case in point. At one stage an allegation of the most appalling abuse carried out on the altar against young girls preparing for their first holy communion ran into a brick wall because the file disappeared, not the witnesses or victims, just the file. I seriously question how the disappearance of a file containing witness statements could cause such a serious investigation to fall. Surely in a matter of this gravity the taking of a second set of statements would have been the normal practice. Only in doing so could the authorities have shown that they really did intend to prosecute and protect the children concerned.

I note also that the garda responsible for the disappearance of this file was subsequently honoured by the Vatican for services rendered. It would be most useful if the church could clarify the circumstances and reason for this honour. Until it does, the suspicion must be that the attitude of cover-up stretched right into the heart of the Vatican, if indeed it did not emanate from there in the first instance.

I do not intend to go into individual cases. However, it is worth mentioning the case of Seán Fortune to illustrate the processes at work. Here was a priest who had been identified as a predatory paedophile before he was ordained, yet he was ordained. Throughout his time in the priesthood the most vile allegations followed him around like a dark cloud. The dogs in the street knew what he was, yet he continued on with the air of a man who considered himself untouchable, and well he might. Time after time his bishop ignored the reports that he received and allowed him to continue to wreak havoc with young lives in the diocese, so much so that at least two of his victims were driven to suicide. In these circumstances those who knew and did nothing are as culpable as the abusers themselves, perhaps even more so. The abuse was perpetrated in all areas, in the home, in schools, at social events, anywhere the abuser could find a victim. We should make no mistake, there are abusers in all walks of life — they are not only clerics. The Ferns Report, shocking as it is, is but the tip of an iceberg that lies deep in Irish society and beyond.

I will conclude by making a number of recommendations that must be implemented urgently if this scourge is to be seriously tackled. The guidelines in Children First — National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children must be fully resourced and implemented so that all the agencies covered, including the Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, schools and voluntary organisations are enabled to fulfil the role outlined for them.

For every one staff member working with children in this country, there are at least 20 volunteers. Therefore, Garda vetting must be made available to the voluntary sector as a matter of urgency. The basic child protection awareness module delivered to trainee gardaí in Templemore is grossly inadequate given the key responsibility they have in the area of child protection. Therefore, I urge that a comprehensive child protection training package should be developed and delivered to all gardaí as a compulsory part of their training.

The numbers of children first information and advice persons in the HSE and their resources should be increased in the HSE areas to ensure the child protection training they deliver to staff and volunteers working with children is available to all who need it.

This report exposes the extent to which the power of the church in Ireland was used to destroy the rights and the lives of children. For too long that power went unchallenged by the State. Indeed, it was enhanced by the State which abandoned so many children into the hands of their abusers. The lessons must be learned and action must follow.

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