Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Do I take it the Government, which has been led by the Taoiseach for the past ten years, does not accept responsibility for sexual abuse of children in day schools throughout the country? Do I understand that evidence produced last week of a letter submitted to the Department of Education and Science, which clearly indicated abuse by a teacher, was not dealt with and that no action was taken? I will ask the Taoiseach again whether he agrees with the letter that was sent to victims advising them that the Government has no responsibility in respect of this matter and that they should sue boards of management. Such boards are comprised of approximately 20,000 volunteers and lay people. Why would anybody want to serve on a board of management if he or she would be likely to be sued in circumstances of this sort? Is it not a fact that, under the Constitution, the Government must provide for people's education and that, for example, welfare officers, who have a role to play in ensuring children attend school, are part of the State machinery?

Does he agree the letter sent out is in accordance with the Government views? How can he stand here, as head of Government, and state that all responsibility is abdicated for children who were abused in day schools throughout the land?

He apologised, in respect of the institutions arising from the Residential Institutions Redress Board, to all those victims who were abused in institutions. Does he now apologise to all of those victims who were abused in day schools? Let me hear it again from the Taoiseach, as head of Government, that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats will not accept any responsibility for the sexual abuse of children in day schools, of which the Department of Education and Science was notified officially and took no action. If that is the case, we have come to a new low where he will not even accept any moral responsibility for an outrage that happened in so many cases throughout the land.

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