Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very serious issue. The level, scale and nature of sexual abuse carried out in Blackrock College and in other school settings is sickening and shocking. Our sympathies, if that is the right word, and thoughts go out to all the victims and survivors of such terrible abuse. Such sexual abuse causes immense trauma for the entire lives of those who have been abused.

It destroys many aspects of their lives. Unfortunately, that has been this story for many people for far too long. It is a stain on our society that so much abuse occurred in settings where people were entitled to feel safe and where they should have been protected and nurtured.

In that context, we have had many inquiries in the past into abuse in different settings, primarily church settings. I refer to the inquiries into what happened in the Ferns diocese, the Dublin archdiocese, the Cloyne diocese and the industrial schools, many of which were run by the religious. We have learned a lot from many of those inquiries, which were very painful and traumatic for many concerned.

We have agreed to a debate on this matter next week. I would be interested in engaging with Members of the Oireachtas and with other parties on how best to go about this. The Government is going to give the matter further consideration in the context of the most effective way to have a victim-led approach to unearthing all aspects of what went on here and if there was a cover-up, the nature of that cover-up. More important is to get a proper understanding of the scale of what went on. I am very conscious that in the past some inquiries took longer than people would have anticipated. I am very conscious that some were more effective and gave outcomes more quickly. The mode and manner in which we go about this is important. We have to learn lessons from previous inquiries in that regard. A bespoke-type of inquiry may be required. As the Deputy knows, the scope and terms of reference of any inquiry are very important. The Government is certainly giving this consideration, but I would like to do it in consultation with other Members of the Oireachtas.

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