MICHAEL O’REGAN
LABOUR EDUCATION spokesman Ruairí Quinn suggested that a former Christian Brothers’ school in Dublin be converted into a museum commemorating the victims of abuse in religious institutions.
He said the former Coláiste Mhuire, on Parnell Square, was located beside the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art and across from the Garden of Remembrance which paid tribute to the 1916 heroes.
“We, the State, the Republic of Ireland, now own that vacant building which was transferred to our ownership as restitution by the Christian Brothers as a contribution towards the cost of the redress bill,’’ he said. “We should fill it with the shameful memories of our past so as to ensure that our future never sees its repetition.’’
Mr Quinn was moving the Labour Party’s Private Members’ institutional child abuse Bill 2009 wiping clean the records of those detained in reformatory schools under criminal convictions.
“For purposes of law, survivors must be treated as if they have never committed, or been charged with, or prosecuted for, or convicted of, or sentenced for, any offence,’’ said Mr Quinn.
The Bill, he added, also proposed expanding the definition of “child’’ and “institution’’ so that no abuse victim was denied justice through the redress board.
This would necessitate a new time period for new applications to the board.
The Bill would also abolish the secrecy obligation which effectively prohibited applicants to the board from talking about their childhood and time in the institutions, said Mr Quinn.
He said the Bill proposed that the records of the board and the Child Abuse Commission would be preserved. It would also allow for all the records of the Government’s 2002 indemnity agreement with the 18 religious orders to be published in full.
The Bill gave the Government power, said Mr Quinn, to examine the financial affairs of the orders.
Describing the Bill as “premature’’, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe said the Government was surprised that the Labour Party had proposed expanding the board’s remit before discussions with the religious congregations were completed.
Expressing the Government’s regret that Labour had acted unilaterally in moving the Bill, he said he felt there had been a unified approach when the House recently passed an all-party motion following a debate on the Ryan report.
“I thought we’d go forward together, with the Dáil acting in solidarity in the interest of the survivors.
“I think it is a pity that this approach was not continued as we progress through our engagement with the survivor groups and the religious congregations.
“I wish to state that the Government, therefore, has to oppose this Bill due to the fact that the issues raised have not been fully considered and, in some cases, legal advice will need to be sought.
“In addition, while I realise that costing these measures is not a simple task, it is clear that the Labour Party has not made any attempt to cost these measures or even consider the cost implications.
“That is not to say that the Government’s decision, going forward, will be totally dependent on the financial implications, but we must, at all times, consider the implications for the taxpayers of this country.’’
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said that the Bill’s proposals were a logical and necessary follow-up to the Ryan report. “The Bill addresses a range of outstanding issues that were crystallised by the Ryan report and that have been clearly articulated by the survivors of institutional child abuse before and after that publication.’’
Fine Gael spokesman Alan Shatter said his party supported the Labour Bill.
The Irish Times 8th July 2009
Hi Paddy, you should have a foghorn with you to use everytime a one of the ‘honourable members’ has a fit !
Hi Portia
Well said. Prosecutions MUST follow. Those who licensed these religious orders are also amongst the guilty and we must push on this. Has going to the Hague being ruled out?
Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Labour all participated in Government during my incarceration. On leaving/release the Institutions I informed a senior member of Fianna Fail and a mouthy Fine Gael TD of my horrific time in those places – they did nothing. That was 1972/73!
Paddy
My Conviction can never be wiped out as it is on another Document Called the Ryan’s Report. It has gone all over the world . None of the leaders of the Groups have said a word about this. The same group leaders will agree to anything the religious Orders want. The same as they agreed to all the dirty deals that have been done with the Religious and the Irish Government
May Cornish Henderson
A museum in memory of abuse and soul destruction of children.??
They are sick in the head.
Paddy, this is really COGNITIVE DISSONANCE at its best.
Deceptive Intelligence also springs to mind.
“For purposes of law, survivors must be treated as if they have never committed, or been charged with, or prosecuted for, or convicted of, or sentenced for, any offence,’’ said Mr Quinn.
Well, that is all fine and well, but they have already been prosecuted and committed and punished for no crime- so what kind of rubbish is this?
And the care system is no better in 2009 than it was in 1909.
But the people do not know this because of the secrecy awarded to the elite.
If we all want to move on, grow up, release ALL documents and bring the abusers to a court like Nuremburg.
To do less is to collude with the abusers.
I was in the Dáil yesterday evening for the debate referred to in the above article. As I listened to the debate it became clear to me that Fianna Fáil were making a “political football” out of the Ryan Report and also making a “political football” out of those people who were abused while in the so called care of the religious orders. I will go back to the Dáil for the winding up of the debate and to see it being defeated by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. A plague on both their houses!