Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion.

I welcome the Minister. I thank the Leader for leading off, for gathering the signatories and for organising this important motion. I join her in now formally calling for a full State public inquiry into St. John's Ambulance and particularly into the accountability and governance of the board now and previous board of the St. John's Ambulance service.

Dr. Shannon's report is expected to draw on the official records, and interviews with the survivors, current and former members. It must now be published. I acknowledge and thank the Minister for keeping the focus on this issue. I again acknowledge that the decision by St. John's Ambulance to commission an independent review followed a certain amount of pressure from the Minister. Concerns about alleged child sexual abuse by former senior St. John's Ambulance officers were apparently an open secret. This claim has been made by many past members of the organisation. I acknowledge the investigative work by The Irish Times, which revealed that several men had been sexually abused in the 1990s by senior figures within the organisation.

Abuse generally is a very complex issue. Many people will not understand the complexities and the dynamics of grooming, the quasi-military mind-set of the organisation, an atmosphere of mistrust and persistent rumours of misconduct. The organisation's culture was for years resistant to change and was described by many as a rigid gerontocracy. That is particularly important and it should be read into the record. I have no doubt the organisation's handling of abuse contributed significantly to the defilement and violation of individuals, and the ruination and desecration of many. That is very serious to allege. We will never know the full truth until we have a full State inquiry.

I understand that An Garda Síochána has an ongoing investigation into past abuses. I do not know how many people are involved but I wish them well in their work. In recent days, there has been much talk about abuse. I have two requests of the Minister. He should initiate and seek Cabinet approval for a State-led public inquiry into this organisation and many other organisations, but we should stay focused on this one today. He should further resource the One in Four group to allow it to provide practical supports. It needs additional financial support. It is one of many organisations that do particular work.

I also acknowledge the work of the Rape Crisis helpline. I met a man the other day who said that the Rape Crisis helpline is not for him, is not for men. I told him that is not the case. We need to do a bit of education on that issue. We need to highlight that in inquiries. We also need to link people into the HSE counselling services. There is a need for resources. It is one thing to talk about what we want, but I know the Minister, who is committed to this area, will look at that. I have asked for assistance to be provided to the One in Four group.

If people, who are tuning into Seanad Éireann today - as many people do to these live broadcasts - or later in the week, are affected by these issues, they should contact One in Four at oneinfour.ie, the Rape Crisis helpline at 1800 778888 or the HSE counselling service online or by phone at 1800 235234.