Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)

I raise the institutional betrayal of Ireland's vulnerable children. I wish to address one of the most shameful failures of our State, which is the ongoing betrayal of the survivors of abuse in St. John Ambulance and the disgraceful response from those entrusted with protecting them. We are here because of the immense courage of Mick Finnegan and other survivors who came forward to expose horrific abuse they suffered as children. These were boys, some as young as 12, who volunteered to serve their communities only to be groomed, abused and raped by a predator that St. John Ambulance knew was dangerous. Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's damning 2023 report left no room for doubt. This was not just the actions of one depraved individual but systemic failure on an institutional scale. The report confirmed what survivors had been saying for years that the charity was aware of the risks this man posed and yet failed to act. What has happened since? Instead of justice, survivors have faced a new form of institutional abuse, the gaslighting and retraumatisation by a State that continues to fail them at every turn.

The Minister, Deputy Foley's refusal to meet with survivors is beyond disappointing. Her Department's false claims about outreach support are misleading. If we just examine the facts, there has been no public inquiry, despite overwhelming evidence and multiple victims coming forward. The Minister has outright refused to establish a public inquiry into what happened at St. John Ambulance. There has been no accountability. Not a single person has been held accountable for enabling or covering up this abuse. The preparator may have retired, but what about those who allowed him to continue operating? There is no truth. A total of three so-called progress reports have been issued but none have delivered meaningful change or justice. They are prepared exercises designed to give the illusion of action. There is no support for survivors. The much-touted national safeguarding officer is a hollow gesture when survivors are still fighting for basic recognition of their trauma. This is not how a compassionate society treats its most vulnerable. This is how a responsible Government addresses systemic child abuse. The State's inaction sends a clear message that the pain of these survivors does not matter and that institutional reputations matter more than justice. I say enough. Enough of the empty promises, enough of the bureaucratic stonewalling and enough of treating survivors like an inconvenient truth rather than human beings who deserve justice. Today survivors demand an immediate public inquiry; not one behind closed doors, but a full transparent examination of what happened at St. John Ambulance and why it was allowed to continue. They need proper support; not just lip service about outreach but fully funded trauma informed care for all survivors. There needs to be safeguarding reform, with a complete overhaul of child protection measures across all State funded youth organisations. It is important we tell the survivors that their fight is our fight, their pain is what matters to us, and their voices are being heard.