Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the establishment of a commission of investigation into historical sexual abuse in schools. I commend all survivors on coming forward. I send a special thought to those who cannot come forward or those who are no longer with us due to this. This is very long overdue. This scandal has damaged countless lives, and for far too long survivors have carried the burden of silence, shame and institutional denial. The failure of successive governments to properly and finally deal with it in a comprehensive way has added to the trauma of survivors. Sexual abuse in young children tends to end up with the child feeling shame and guilt. They do not understand what is going on. They know it is wrong, they know it hurts and often they ask what they have done to bring it on them. They should never, ever feel that shame or guilt. It is not their fault they were too young to know even what was going on.

In my county of Clare, there have been allegations of sexual abuse in schools. Those allegations have named six perpetrators, and we can assume that probably more names were added to that. The fact that the scope does not include physical violence means that victims are left feeling they do not matter but also means perpetrators are getting away with victimising children and making it out to be normal to be abused physically.

It is essential now that the Government liaise with survivor groups and Opposition parties to ensure the commission is as robust as possible. We must ensure that the failings of past inquiries are not replicated. Survivors' voices and experience must be to the forefront in this inquiry. They need to be acknowledged and listened to. They have waited for far too long. Previous inquiries failed them and ignored them. Here we are 11 years later discussing the establishment of a commission of inquiry to provide an effective resolution for victims of sexual abuse in Irish schools. It is appalling that victims have had to take legal action to force the Government to do its job and vindicate their rights. These cases represent a disgraceful dereliction of duty by the State. The findings of the O'Toole scoping inquiry were appalling but not surprising, but one of the most heartbreaking conclusions of the inquiry was that many survivors never felt safe or supported enough to come forward. For years they were met with disbelief, silence or threats. The scoping exercise highlighted how systems had failed children repeatedly, not just through acts of abuse but through the coverups and neglect that followed. I hope the victims of this get what they deserve.

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