Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the recent revelations of abuse in schools by the Spiritan Order. The details of the abuse and its handling by the order are deeply disturbing. It is heart-breaking to see so many people impacted across all the order's schools and through so many generations. It is important to remember that crimes have been committed and should be investigated by the An Garda Síochána. This process must not be compromised. I am conscious of this while discussing this matter today. However, given that many of the individuals accused of abuse are deceased, it will be for another form of investigation to deliver transparency and accountability for the victims.

Earlier this month, the Spiritan congregation, formerly the Holy Ghost Fathers, disclosed that 233 men have made allegations of abuse against 77 Irish Spiritans in Ireland and overseas. Of that number, 57 men have alleged they were abused on the campus of Blackrock College and Willow Park in Dublin.

The number of people who have made allegations of abuse at Spiritans schools has since risen to almost 300. The Spiritans run three other colleges in Dublin, St. Mary’s College in Rathmines, Templeogue College and St. Michael’s College, as well as Rockwell College in Tipperary.

I have been struck by the courage of the survivors who have spoken out, particularly David and Mark Ryan, as well as John Coulter, Corry McMahon, Louis Hoffman and Philip Feddis. I thank the former pupils of Blackrock College and Willow Park for their engagement over the past few weeks. It has been extremely difficult for the individuals who have come forward, those who have yet to come forward and those who may never do so. This is traumatising for those who have been victims of abuse at any stage of their lives. I know they have been stunned by the extent of the abuse, with groups meeting up as far away as Sydney to discuss the situation.

There is a deep sadness and outrage among these groups about what their fellow pupils have endured. They are clear there is a need for transparency and for the truth to come out. They have questions about how this could have gone on unabated for such a long period. There is concern about how individuals with a history of abuse could have been in positions of authority in Willow Park well into the 1990s. It is clear the Spiritans were aware of the situation. They need to provide transparency around their handling of the abuse and the perpetrators. Parents, equally, have been shocked by the extent of the abuse. Many worked hard to send their boys to Willow Park and Blackrock College.

It is important to identify the most effective way to conduct an inquiry while ensuring it is survivor-centred at every stage. I welcome the Minister's comments and the Taoiseach's assurances on this. It is also important to consider previous inquiries, statutory and non-statutory, and the lessons we can take from these, including in respect of length of time, findings and challenges.

We have seen a number of formats for inquires into historical sexual abuse over the past 20 years in this country. The Ferns report, for example, was presented to the Government in October 2005 and was the result of a non-statutory inquiry established by the then Minister for Health and Children. The report identified over 100 allegations of child sexual abuse against 21 priests made in the period 1962 to 2002. It also set out a number of recommendations which have since been implemented. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was a statutory inquiry that presented its report, known as the Ryan report, in 2009, after ten years of work. The commission consisted of two committees, a confidential committee for those who wished to tell their story and an investigative committee with powers to investigate. The confidential committee heard testimony from more than 1,000 people who had experienced sexual and other forms of abuse. The full implementation of the Ryan report’s recommendations will be completed with the establishment of a national centre for remembrance and research, which will contain a national archive of historical records relating to institutional trauma in the 20th century.

The Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin was established on a statutory basis in 2006 and its report, the Murphy report, was published shortly after the Ryan report in 2009. It examined over 320 complaints of child sex abuse by Dublin clergy and how these allegations were handled by the church and State authorities. The Commission of Investigation into the Catholic diocese of Cloyne was established on a statutory basis in March 2009. Its report was published in July 2011 and examined how allegations of sexual abuse of children against 19 priests in the diocese of Cloyne were dealt with by the church and the State authorities.

The report of the interdepartmental committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen laundries, also known as the McAleese report, was published in 2013. The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was established in 2015 to provide an account of what happened to women and children in mother and baby homes during the period 1922 to 1998. Its final report was published in January 2021. We are all aware of the difficulties with the report published by that commission.

The extended nature of some of the inquiries needs to be considered, as noted by colleagues across the House today. It is important that any inquiry would produce a report in a reasonable timeframe, giving consideration to the needs of victims. It is also important to note that very strong child safeguarding procedures exist in all schools, the Department of Education and the Garda.

Reflecting on the revelations, I note the motto of Blackrock College, "Faith and Strength". It is clear the survivors of abuse at the college have shown great strength and courage in coming forward. It is imperative that the Government and authorities work with the survivors and their families to deliver truth, transparency and accountability. The staff, pupils and wider school community in Willow Park and Blackrock College have been there to support each other and discuss these horrific revelations but it is imperative that we try to establish a conclusive inquiry with the victims at the centre to ensure we uncover the truth, that justice is served and that this is done speedily.

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