Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The Ferns Report is a contemporary Pandora's box, containing as it does, distressing accounts and narratives of innocence destroyed, vulnerability exploited and power abused. However, it also carries hope for the future. I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, well in the important work that lies before him. The report states:

The members of the Inquiry would express the hope that should the type of abuse chronicled in this Report ever occur again, there will be mechanisms and procedures in place which will enable victims promptly to report the abuse in the confidence that they would be believed and the certainty that appropriate action would be taken to terminate the wrongdoing.

That really sums up what this is all about. The Ferns Report is a distressing document, relying as it does on the simplest of print formats to present its harrowing and disturbing account of, on the one hand, a hidden Ireland, and on the other, an Ireland where attempts to uncover wrongdoing went unheeded and often not believed.

It is impossible to talk about the Ferns Report without referring in some meaningful way to the accounts relating to victims and alleged victims of clerical abuse. In fact, not to do so would be to do a disservice to those who have shown such bravery in coming forward and telling their stories. What is painfully clear from the Ferns Report and from evidence generally is that not all victims of sexual abuse lived to survive their ordeal. Some were so badly scarred that, sadly, they took their own lives. What a truly horrendous price to pay — loss of innocence and loss of life. One of the most disturbing aspects of the Ferns Report is the many accounts of how children had brought their abuse to the attention of elders, respected elders and people in positions of authority, but were not believed or were discredited.

One example of this is Stephen, whose abuser, the now deceased Fr. Seán Fortune, continually abused him from the age of 13, culminating in violent rape. Stephen courageously reported the abuse to the principal of St Peter's College who "reacted angrily to him and refused to believe him". What is a child to do in these circumstances? What avenue is left open to people who, when they report such abuse it is simply brushed aside? Stephen made his complaint under the threat from Fr. Fortune that he would be expelled from the college, a fate that according to the devious Fr. Fortune, would "cause great hurt to his parents". This, among many other incidents outlined in the report, indicates abusers who knew very well, all too well, the power and influence they held over those in their care, for long or short periods of time. Fr. Fortune and others abused their position of responsibility within the community and abused their roles as pastors, their relationship with their parishioners and above all, abused innocent boys whose only failing was to trust those in positions of authority, in whom society had placed its trust.

This report provides us with a vividly distressing account of how abuse took place, where it took place and how it was perpetrated in its many manifestations. The Ferns Report tells us fundamentally about innocence abused and trust and respect misplaced. It tells us also of the overriding priority that the protection of the institution took over the protection of children. Like others, I acknowledge and appreciate the work of Mr. Justice Murphy, Dr. Buckley and Dr. Joyce. I also commend Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Bishop Eamonn Walsh for their leadership roles in this sad episode. I also avail of this opportunity to commend and offer words of support and encouragement to the many clergy who have toiled so courageously and selflessly over generations and whose reputations have been collectively tarnished by association.

I wish to reply briefly to comments made by Deputy O'Donnell who said earlier that the special relationship with the Catholic Church must end. The Catholic Church does not have a special relationship with the State based on its creed. It is true that in its role as a provider of services in education and health it has a partnership role like other religious organisations. The days are thankfully long gone when an archbishop would have a quiet word in the ear of a Minister before the Government would introduce legislation. In Ireland of 2005 we do not prioritise the Catholic Church over any other church and I could not see myself being part of any Government that would do so.

I make these comments at a time when the State is undertaking an important process of church-State dialogue, an institutional dialogue not just with the Christian churches, Catholic, Protestant and eastern Orthodox churches, but also the Islamic community, Buddhists and the Humanist Association of Ireland among others. This dialogue which is being established by the Taoiseach's Department will take place between the State on the one hand and church and faith based communities and non-confessional organisations on the other. This is a healthy, progressive and even historic development, reflecting the Ireland of today which, as we all know, is a multi-ethnic and multicultural society.

I have no doubt that these organisations, churches and individuals with their wealth of experience and knowledge will assist us greatly in developing our policies into the future. We already engage successfully and productively with the social partners and many non-governmental organisations in the formulation of Government policy. This new form of dialogue will be in all our interests. I make these comments to clarify as far as I am concerned the true relationship between the Catholic Church and the State. This dialogue is taking place in the spirit of article 52 of the proposed European constitutional treaty. We are the first member state of the European Union to take this step. Structured dialogue with the churches offers the opportunity to listen anew in an open and transparent way to the inner voice in the Irish and European tradition. The constitutional reference to the Catholic Church is long gone.

The Ferns Inquiry exposes failures on many fronts, by the church, the State, the Garda and our health and educational systems. A collective effort is required to ensure we do not fail in future. In my opening remarks I referred to the hope expressed in the Ferns Report that should such sexual abuse as chronicled in this report ever occur again, adequate and appropriate procedures and mechanisms would be in place that would enable victims to promptly report the abuse in the confidence that they would be believed. I am convinced the Government has taken the correct approach. The announcements made yesterday by my colleagues, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, will put procedures in place to deal as comprehensively as possible with this important matter and will provide the highest possible level of protection for our children. This will require a collective effort by us all.

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