Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The revelations about the systemic, sustained and grotesque sexual abuse that took place in Blackrock College over many years are shocking and harrowing. We now know that at least 233 men have made allegations of abuse against 77 Irish priests from the Spiritans order. Of that number, 57 have alleged they were abused on the campus of Blackrock College. Some of the abusers were serial abusers who abused with impunity over decades in that school. At night, they roamed freely through the boarding school, abusing their victims in their beds. A culture of omerta and a desire to protect the institution over the children in its care ensured that this dark chapter in the school's history remained shrouded in secrecy until now. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to brothers Mark and David Ryan who spoke bravely on an RTÉ documentary last week about their own abuse at the hands of Fr. Tom O'Byrne and other priests. Tragically, neither brother knew the other had been abused by the same man until they finally told their parents and went to the Garda in 2002. Their story has prompted many more from a number of different schools run by religious orders to come forward and tell their stories of abuse, trauma and shattered lives. The Irish Timestoday features an interview with John, which is not his real name, who was repeatedly abused by Brother Luke McCaffrey in Willow Park in the 1980s and 1990. John said he still wakes up screaming, "No, Brother Luke. Please, Brother Luke, please, Brother Luke." He goes on to state:

I could never hold down a job, a steady relationship and have alienated all my friends, systematically. I have not met anybody socially in years, and am effectively a recluse, bar walking the dog. I am forever apologising to people for things I haven’t done wrong. I have never been convicted but have always felt like a criminal.

How can we stand over a situation in which those who have been abused feel like the criminals and the perpetrators do not? Many abusers have lived long lives and were respected in their communities until they died.

In the past hour, the Spiritans have announced that independent experts have been appointed to examine abuse in Spiritan-run schools. We need to examine the detail of that. However, this independent process covers just one congregation. The State has an obligation, belatedly, to act. We must have a public inquiry into what went on in these schools. We must know how many children were abused and by how many abusers. Why was it covered up for so long? There have been allegations of paedophile rings operating, which must also be examined. It is long past the time that we in this country finally dealt with our past in which children were repeatedly raped and abused by those who had a duty to protect them. I am asking the Taoiseach to agree to a public inquiry into these matters.

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