Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, to Seanad Éireann.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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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.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am glad to be able to respond on behalf of the Minister with responsibility for children. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and offering me the opportunity to respond.

The Government wants to acknowledge the trauma associated with sexual abuse in childhood, which continues into adulthood affecting many aspects of the victims-survivors' lives and the impact it has had on those victims-survivors. The Minister for children is clear that all of the recommendations in Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's report should be complied with as soon as practicable by St. John Ambulance Ireland. The Department of children has been assured that St. John Ambulance Ireland is fully committed to ensuring that it assists and provides support to all victims-survivors. A written organisational apology has been issued by St. John Ambulance to all known victims-survivors. The written apology has also been posted to the organisation's website to ensure transparency and awareness among victims-survivors and others. The Department of children has engaged with St. John Ambulance on a number of occasions since the publication of Dr. Shannon's report and will continue that engagement relating to the issues raised in that report and its 11 main recommendations, in particular in respect of support to survivors of abuse. St. John Ambulance Ireland is not a body under the aegis of the Department of children. This is because it is independent in its functions as a registered charity. The Minister for children has no role in the governance of the organisation. Oversight of the governance of this charity is a matter for the Charities Regulator. That authority, under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development, is Ireland's statutory regulator for charitable organisations, including St. John Ambulance Ireland.

A key recommendation of Dr. Shannon's report was for the appointment of a national safeguarding officer to St. John Ambulance Ireland. In 2024, the previous Minister for children took the initiative to provide once-off funding for the appointment of a national safeguarding officer for St. John Ambulance Ireland for a specified period of 12 months. This was to ensure that recommendations from Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's report were implemented in full and to review the organisation's child safeguarding policies and procedures. This work is ongoing. The national safeguarding officer ensures that an extra layer of oversight and governance is present. This, in turn, strengthens the efficiency of the governance regime in the organisation. It should be noted the safeguarding officer is independent in his work from St. John Ambulance Ireland. The Department of children is still engaging with St. John Ambulance Ireland and progress is being made on the implementation of all 11 recommendations.

St. John Ambulance Ireland recently published its fourth progress report on the implementation of the recommendations, highlighting the progress it has made as an organisation. There have been many developments regarding the implementation of the recommendations. The national safeguarding officer was asked by St. John Ambulance Ireland to review the adequacy and effectiveness of the organisation's response to complaints of sexual abuse within the organisation. The safeguarding officer is reviewing the organisation's child safeguarding statement and its child safeguarding policy and procedures. It is understood that these are deemed to be robust and clear but that there are opportunities for enhancement. This review will be further informed by the outcome of an audit of all 22 St. John Ambulance Ireland branches throughout the country in respect of the implementation of Children First. The review is being undertaken by the national safeguarding officer.

St. John Ambulance Ireland has given assurances that the updated Garda vetting policy and procedures for 2025 have been approved by its board. The adult volunteer process specifies that members must undergo a Children First learning programme and the organisation's safeguarding programme training before they can be vetted. This is to prevent local branches allowing people to attend for duties when they are vetted but without the appropriate safeguarding training. This is very important. Members being revetted must have completed Children First e-learning and St. John Ambulance Ireland safeguarding training in the same calendar year as their vetting. Following the recommendations by the national safeguarding officer, a new risk assessment template is being developed as part of the revised child safeguarding statement. It is recommended that a yearly safeguarding workshop be made mandatory for all members of the organisation involved in leadership. This will be an opportunity to upskill and update on safeguarding matters.

St. John Ambulance Ireland recognises that safeguarding best practices will continue to evolve and the Department of children will continue to review its operations to ensure they meet and exceed the standard so the mistakes of the past do not happen again. St. John Ambulance Ireland has made supports available to those affected following the publication of the report, including outreach support and counselling and therapeutic services funding by the organisation. These supports are provided on an anonymous basis and funded in full by St. John Ambulance Ireland.

Officials from the Department of children are due to meet the commissioner of St. John Ambulance Ireland and the national safeguarding officer in the near future to further review the implementation of Dr. Shannon's recommendations and the ongoing work of the national safeguarding officer. In light of the progress made to date, and the comprehensive and robust measures already in place and due to be put in place, it is the view of the Minister for children that a statutory inquiry is not required. St. John Ambulance Ireland is making continued efforts to ensure that all of Dr. Shannon's recommendations are fully implemented. The Government looks forward to further progress being made on the implementation of Dr. Shannon's recommendations and the finalisation of the work of the national safeguarding officer this year.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State. I have heard that response before - that is being honest - and it is not acceptable. No one has been held accountable for the abuse at St. John Ambulance. An apology is not enough. Survivors have been to hell and back. Some are struggling with homelessness and addiction and are struggling to cope. An apology is not good enough and accountability is what is needed. There was significant organisational awareness of this abuse, which went unchecked for decades, and we need to do more. We need to hold people to account.

The Minister of State mentioned that the Government had no role in the running of St. John Ambulance, yet it gives money and allocates funding and resources to St. John Ambulance. As I mentioned earlier, justice delayed is justice denied, and the survivors of the St. John Ambulance abuse deserve more.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Senator. The national safeguarding officer is conducting an audit of each of the 22 St. John Ambulance Ireland branches in respect of Children First compliance. This is a very important step. It will ensure that all local branches have an on-site designated child safeguarding officer, and that each branch has its own bespoke child safeguarding statement with adherence to the Children First legislation. It will also ensure that adequate child safeguarding training practices are in place. Furthermore, it will ensure proper management of reports of concern or allegations of child abuse and the reporting of same to the Department of children.

St. John Ambulance Ireland has informed the Department of children that it will continue to provide regular updates to its response document on the implementation of the Shannon report recommendations, with the latest one received this month. With respect to the therapeutic supports for survivors, the Department of children has been advised by St. John Ambulance Ireland that a counselling service is in plan. Service level agreements were put in place with recognised counselling service providers. These counselling services are available to victims and survivors through recognised providers, fully funded by St. John Ambulance Ireland. This support continues.

St. John Ambulance Ireland has committed to a robust implementation of child safeguarding practices and procedure. The organisation now has measures in place to ensure it will never be complacent about child safeguarding, and is committed to maintaining best practices on a continuous basis. Officials from the Department of children will continue to liaise with St. John Ambulance Ireland to ensure continued progress on the implementation of Dr. Shannon's independent review report recommendations.