By Paul Cunningham - RTE News - 03/09/2024 - [IRELAND] - [Public Inquiry]
A lengthy report into sexual abuse in boarding and day schools could be approved for publication by the Cabinet today.
It is expected to be one of a range of proposals brought by Minister for Education Norma Foley, including a recommendation to set up a statutory inquiry into potentially thousands of cases of abuse.
The proposals follow on from her department receiving a lengthy report last year into allegations of historic abuse at Blackrock College.
The scoping inquiry, led by senior counsel Mary O'Toole, had a wider remit and examined abuse claims at other religious-run boarding and day school.
Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Roderic O'Gorman considered the issue at their regular meeting last night.
Arrangements are being made to share the report with survivors' groups, ahead of a public release, should it be passed for publication. Some of the survivors of sexual abuse at Blackrock College have been informed that they may receive the report later today.
The report solely examined schools run by Roman Catholic religious institutions.
Mr Harris has said that survivors will be the first to know the next steps the Government takes in relation to any statutory inquiry.
Speaking ahead of this morning's Cabinet meeting, Mr Harris thanked Minister Foley for how she has handled the issue, and for engaging with survivors.
"It's a statement of fact that the minister has reviewed the scoping report that has been carried out," he said.
"She and I and everyone in Government has said that in terms of the next steps the people we want to know first are the survivors - and the representatives the minister has been engaging with.
"I can assure you that's the way which we will proceed."
The allegations of sexual abuse at Blackrock College in Dublin first came into the public domain with the release of an RTÉ Doc on One programme, 'Blackrock Boys'.
It featured brothers Mark and David Ryan, who told their harrowing stories of repeated sexual abuse at the school in south Dublin.
Following its broadcast, many other students contacted RTÉ's Liveline programme to talk about what happened to them.
Within a week, 233 men had joined the Ryan brothers in making allegations of historic abuse against members of the Spiritan congregation who co-run Blackrock College as well as other schools run by other religious congregations.
Mark Ryan died suddenly in London aged 62, suffering a suspected heart attack.
His brother David said it was a huge shock.
"Mark and I never really talked before. But since the Doc on One, we just got closer and closer. He stood by me, so caring and loving. It's such a loss. He did everything for me. He was my rock. A rock," he said.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary:- Good soundings on a statutory Commission of Investigation for victims & survivors of school abuse. We are thinking of all of them today and in coming weeks including D4P victims both abused in schools and by Michael Shine. Tough days #michaleshine #stopsexualabuse #publicinquiry