2025-12-11

92. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether it is her intention to set up a redress scheme for victims of historical sexual abuse perpetrated by both lay and religious teachers in schools; and the timeline for the establishment of any such redress scheme. [70943/25]

I just got off the phone with a lovely man in his 70s. Let us call him Stephen. He was absolutely savagely abused when he was nine years old and for quite a while. It is only recently, now that he is in his 70s, that he has been able to acknowledge the damage that was done to him. He wants to know when this investigation is going to be established so that he can tell his story. He also wants to know whether people like him, whose lives were affected for their rest of their lives, will get redress for the savage abuse they suffered at school.

I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for the question. First of all, I want to welcome him back. It is great to see him and I wish him the very best of luck in everything. To say that I find the question in front of me and the challenges faced by survivors challenging would be an understatement. It is extremely distressing even to read or study some of the documentation in relation to this. I find it horrendous to hear the legacy that has been left and the damage that has been done to the man the Deputy calls Stephen, not just in his school years, but in his lifetime. The Government takes revelations of historical sexual abuse in schools with the utmost seriousness and has established a commission of investigation, chaired by Mr. Justice Michael MacGrath, to investigate the handling of complaints and allegations of historical sexual abuse in schools. The commission was the principal recommendation of the report of the scoping inquiry into historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders. The scoping inquiry’s report also recognised the significance of the issue of redress for survivors and their expressed wish that those running schools where child sexual abuse occurred should be held financially accountable. It recommended that consideration be given by the Government to establishing a redress scheme for survivors. The high-level interdepartmental group established to advise the Government on the recommendations of the scoping inquiry recognised redress as an important element of accountability for survivors. The group recognises that consideration of a redress scheme may have far-reaching implications and has advised that further work needs to be undertaken to ensure that the Government is fully informed in any decision it may take. The interdepartmental group has commenced this work, is committed to meeting regularly and aims to report to the Department of education within 18 months. This will not impede the progress of the commission of investigation, which will begin its work in parallel. The commission does not have a role in relation to redress.

Stephen described to me in really emotive terms the sadistic abuse that he suffered as a nine-year-old boy and even earlier. He was savagely beaten, humiliated and stripped naked to such an extent that he fled school and never learned to read and write. He described in very emotional terms how he was never able to read bedtime stories to his children, how he imagined it was all his fault, and the shame he suffered all his life. He considered himself to be a dunce and stupid because they were the labels that were associated with him. He spoke of how his entire life was limited in terms of job opportunities. He could not admit that he could not read and write because he did not want to get into the reasons for that. He has only been able to come to terms with it and make a Garda complaint very recently. What he wants to know is when he will he get an acknowledgement and an apology from the State that allowed this to happen. When will he be able to tell his story? I note from what the Minister of State has said that the timeline for this sounds worryingly long. Stephen is in his 70s. Hopefully, he will be here for quite a while yet but people are getting old and they need to know they are going to have some opportunity to tell their story and get redress soon.

I take that point. I have met many families and survivors who have suffered enormous trauma such as the Deputy has outlined. Horrendous crimes were committed against them. People pass on and the family, the next generation, carry that challenge in respect of how their parents were treated in school. It is not just for the victims themselves but for the families. In many of the cases I have been involved with, the families have really been challenged. There is one commitment that I will give. The interdepartmental group has commenced its work. That work is ongoing. The group is meeting very regularly. The report is to be within the Department. There is a huge amount of work to be done. It has to be done meticulously and correctly. The group is committed to reporting within the 18 months. It is very important that the timeline is stuck to because, as the Deputy has said, many of the survivors are getting on in years. They really want some kind of closure - I mean that in the broadest possible sense because it may not be full closure - regarding the horrific crimes committed against them.

We really need a clear timeline. That needs to happen soon. I am also worried that the terms of reference of this investigation may exclude people because of the type of abuse they suffered. What I described to the Minister of State was absolutely horrendous abuse. Whether it falls within a strict definition of sexual abuse is debatable but it was sadistic, brutal and life-changing abuse. Today, when he was describing the physical and mental damage done to him, he expressed concern about his classmates who also suffered this abuse. He does not know what happened to them but he is still worried about that and about the damage that was done to them because it was so savage and brutal. What he wants is a clear assurance and for the Minister of State or the Government to say that he will get an apology and an opportunity to tell his story and that there will be some redress for the lifelong damage done to him through the sadistic abuse he endured.

I will give the Deputy a commitment that we will work to make sure the timelines set out within the system are adhered to. A lot of work is ongoing across Government Departments in that regard. I appreciate that commitments are often given in relation to timelines but then, for a number of reasons, those timelines are not met. This cannot be missed. It has to be on time. Over the past 30 or 40 years, we have dealt with revelations and issues relating to abuse in our school system. We are still trying to come to terms with that. Cases are still coming forward, as we have recently seen in the courts. I will make sure the timelines we have set out are met for every individual who suffered within the school system. There is a lot of work to be done but the documentation I have been given says it will be done within 18 months. I will work to that timeline and report back to the House as soon as possible.