Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I wish him well in his role. It is an interesting role. It is in everyone's interest that he is successful.

I rise here today to ask a question that weighs heavily on the minds of many in this Chamber but, far more importantly, on the hearts of countless survivors throughout the country.Why will the Department not commission a full inquiry into what went on in St. John Ambulance? The Shannon report, which we have all had the opportunity to review, is nothing short of damning. It reveals a legacy of abuse, institutional failings and systemic failure to protect the most vulnerable children and young people who trusted St. John Ambulance with their safety. These young cadets eager to serve their communities instead became victims of heinous crimes that were allowed to go unchecked for decades. The findings are harrowing. Predatory behaviour was pervasive, known to those in positions of authority and yet was not stopped. The report exposes a culture of cover-up, silence and the protection of abusers at the expense of these survivors. What is even more alarming is that while the Shannon report shed light on the abuses, it also highlighted the sheer lack of accountability, both past and present. There has been no real reckoning for those who failed these children. No one has been held accountable for what happened under the guides of this esteemed organisation, and I say that lightly.

How can we as nation stand idly by while those responsible remain in the shadows shielded from justice? Survivors have had to endure decades of silence being ignored and disbelieved. Many have carried the scars of their experiences in silence and left without closure or justice that a full public inquiry would provide. I acknowledge the tireless work Mick Finnegan, one of the survivors, has done. If it were not for Mick Finnegan the reality, is that it is very unlikely that the Shannon report would have been done and all of the abuse in St. John Ambulance would have come to light. He has been tireless, and it is important to acknowledge that. We owe it, not just to Mick Finnegan but to all survivors to demand transparency, accountability and a proper investigation into how this was allowed to continue for so long. The Department's refusal to commission an inquiry has left survivors feeling abandoned once again by the State, the very body that should be protecting them. It is not enough to say that the Shannon report addressed these issues. The survivors need more than a report. They need an inquiry that will shine light on every corner of this organisation's past to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that justice, however much delayed, is finally delivered.

We are at a critical juncture. The survivors of St. John Ambulance Ireland deserve our full support, they deserve to be heard and they deserve to know that those who enabled or turned a blind eye to their abuse will be held accountable. Without a full inquiry we are failing in our duty to them, we will allow the cycle of silence and cover up to continue. I urge the Minister to reconsider their position. The survivors of St. John Ambulance have waited long enough for justice. It is now time to act.