Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. Like others, I welcome the long overdue publication of the report and commend those who participated in the review and detailed their experiences of abuse, particularly childhood sexual abuse. It is a large burden to place on any individual. It is an experience that must have been difficult and retraumatising. People have bravely and selflessly spoken up and they should be thanked for doing so because without their brave and selfless decision to speak up, this report would not have been possible. We owe them a debt for doing so.I also thank Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, who is now a District Court judge, for his work on the report. There is perhaps no greater testament to his work than that from survivors, such as Mick Finnegan, who have said it was thanks to the care and understanding of Dr. Shannon that they felt strong enough to speak up on this to their representatives.

What now with the publication of this report? The documenting of abuse is not the end. Far too often reports are left to gather dust on the shelf. As the old adage goes, justice delayed is justice denied. There have already been far too many delays in reaching this point. The implementation of the recommendations in the report should not present a further delay. The duty falls on St. John Ambulance, Tusla and the Minister with responsibility for children to fully consider and promptly address the issues raised. The report makes clear that the management and board of St. John Ambulance are accountable for the litany of failings in the organisation, including its ethical duty of care to children. I add my voice to calls for the board to step down and step away.

Serious concerns have been raised with my colleague Deputy Funchion that Tusla provided assurances that the State agency had no current concerns about historical child sexual abuse in St. John Ambulance and, more worryingly, that it did not have concerns with the organisation's current child protection procedures. This review seriously calls into question the judgment of the State agency. I support the request of my colleague Deputy Funchion for Tusla to appear before the Oireachtas joint committee to discuss the assurances it previously provided. I am also concerned that despite the fact that St. John Ambulance does not have a finalised child protection policy and its Garda vetting procedures remain incomplete, it continues to provide a service for various sporting and national governing bodies and communities.

The abuses and failures of governance unveiled in the report are immense but not insurmountable. There are very clear steps that St. John Ambulance, Tusla and the Minister with responsibility for children can and must take to promptly address the issues raised. Survivors have shown immense bravery and tenacity in seeking accountability and reform. This bravery must be matched by action on the part of others.