Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on this hugely important and challenging motion. I join the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in recognising that the enormous contribution of the survivors whose tireless work and participation has brought us to this point today. I add my personal note of welcome to David Ryan who is in the Gallery, and who spoke so compellingly about his experiences not just in the RTÉ radio documentary, "Blackrock Boys", but in interviews with the media since. The path foraged by David and his late brother Mark has enabled many others to come forward and, often for the first time, to speak about their own experiences. We owe them and many other survivors a huge debt of gratitude for what they have brought to the fore.

The contents of the scoping inquiry report last year stopped many of us in our tracks. I thank Mary O'Toole and her team for their compassionate and dedicated work on this. The historic sexual abuse that happened on such a scale in our schools, and for so long, was absolutely shocking. Perhaps equally shocking were the accounts given by the participants whose childhoods were stolen, whose education was interrupted or, indeed, ended abruptly and who experienced family break-ups, lifelong impacts of addiction, mental health difficulties, problems in relationships and loss of opportunities. Where childhood was stolen, adulthood was stolen as well because it had a huge impact on many people.

As Minister of State with special responsibility for special education and inclusion, I am particularly disturbed by the findings of the scoping inquiry in respect of children attending special schools. The scoping inquiry noted that the Central Statistics Office stated that children with disabilities experienced sexual abuse at a much higher rate than children without disabilities. To think that such a breach of trust could happen in our schools is simply devastating. We owe it to the children with additional needs to read that out again. Children with disabilities experienced sexual abuse at a much higher rate than children without a disability. That is hugely shocking. When we think about the impact it had on children and their families - families who entrusted the care of their children to these communities and this is what was actually happening - it is truly and deeply shocking.

The scoping inquiry's findings reflect this and outline a particular number of allegations regarding special schools. It found that with regard to religious orders' records show some 528 recorded allegations of historical child sexual abuse throughout 17 special schools against 190 alleged abusers. It also stated that this is unlikely to be the full extent of the historical child sexual abuse in special schools. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, I find that hugely troubling and shocking.

Special schools were among those named by participants in the scoping inquiry’s trauma-informed, survivor engagement process. That the additional vulnerability of children in special schools could be so exploited is truly appalling and there has to be accountability.

The importance of inclusivity in the commission of investigation cannot be overstated. I welcome the remit laid down in the terms of reference for the scoping inquiry to include all schools for which it will select a sample for detailed investigations. It is important that all survivors and their support networks know from the outset that the commission has a survivor-engagement process whereby any survivor or relative of a person who is deceased or incapacitated can give an account of their experience of child sexual abuse in a supportive and, as the Minister, Deputy McEntee said, a non-adversarial setting. We have to ensure it is a non-adversarial setting and that survivors are supported. In particular, I welcome the provision in the commission’s terms of reference that it will strive to be as survivor-centred as possible and that specific steps are laid down on how it approaches its work.

I strongly support the requirement for support for survivors at a key stage in the process, especially the provision for support for those with additional needs, to facilitate an accessible and inclusive process wherever possible. There are voices that may never have been heard before but I am very glad to see the commitment to ensure they are heard now. I welcome further provision for a survivor-centred approach, including clear communications and transparency, which will assist survivors and those supporting them to make informed choices about their engagement with the commission. Support for survivors at this stage of the process includes emotional and psychological support. A trauma-informed approach to working with those who have experienced child sexual abuse will include practical steps to ensure the process does not revisit the trauma and create more difficulties for people.

We must ensure this is done in consultation with survivors and with the relevant expert advice. The value of the survivor engagement programme's non-adversarial approach is crucially important. I know Mr. Justice MacGrath will be engaging in preliminary consultations with survivors, and I expect advice in the coming months. The commission represents an invaluable opportunity to understand what happened in schools, including special schools, where this was able to continue for so long, and the lifelong effects of childhood sexual abuse in our schools. I welcome, in particular, the focus on the future learning of the commission.

It is important to recognise that the scoping inquiry found current child protection schemes and frameworks in recognised schools to be effective. Nonetheless, there is always scope to learn from what has happened in the past and to work collectively, not just in this House but across society, to ensure the safety of our children now and into the future to enable them to achieve their full potential. In that regard, the requirement for the commission to report within five years and to advise the Minister of any changes needed to achieve that objective is extremely welcome. The terms of reference set out that the commission should also take into account what has already been established in previous investigations, including the scoping inquiry. It may also consider the outcomes of other investigations, including those relating to special schools and the extent of any criminal convictions of specific individuals related to special schools. This will assist the commission in meeting its terms of reference in the allocated timeframe.

I encourage all survivors, who have borne an extremely heavy burden, to come forward, regardless of where they are today. It is important that this process is as encouraging as possible to ensure that people come forward. I also acknowledge the impact on their families, including the families of those with additional needs who trusted those running the schools to care for and protect the particularly vulnerable children. I acknowledge those who have supported survivors of childhood sexual abuse in schools who are often an important part of the process of a victim coming forward, including the scoping inquiry and the commission of investigation. I thank them for their tireless efforts.

As the commission gets under way, the accountability the victims all so richly deserve will come one step closer. Like all Members of this House, we have met survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Despite the challenges they have faced in life, they have confided in us as public representatives or they have faith in the system to go forward and tell their stories. For some of them, it may be the first port of call. Speaking from experience as a public representative, we have to ensure that we believe in this process and that it is as open and as transparent as possible. All the hiding has been done. Families and survivors have had to endure challenges and difficulties. I am reminded of a gentleman who spoke to me a number of years ago about his challenges arising from childhood sexual abuse and the challenges faced by a number of survivors. He told me that we were at our least Christian when we were at our most religious. I think of that man today as we discuss this motion in Dáil Éireann.

As Members of this House, we owe it to David and everybody else who has been affected by childhood sexual abuse. We owe it to their families and the communities to strive to make sure that what has happened in the past will never again be inflicted on any child, whether the child has additional needs or otherwise. It is important that we have full faith in the process and that we ensure that we have an open and transparent process. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has worked extremely hard on this as well. She is as committed as I am to ensuring that we have the best process in place and that we bring to the fore the best help we can get, whether it is redress or in the commission, for those people who have carried such a burden throughout their lives.

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