Press Statement 17th June 2010.
Lord Mayor’s Statement on abuse suffered by Children in Residential Institutions.
At its meeting on 14th June 2010, Dublin City Council debated the findings of recent reports on the issue of the abuse suffered by children in this country. Cllr. Mannix Flynn put forward the motion and also called on the Lord Mayor to issue a public statement, acknowledging that the abuse had happened, and expressing sorrow and regret at what had happened to children at the hands of the church and the state. Cllr. Flynn read a statement into the record covering the issue of child abuse in general, with reference to the findings of the Murphy, Ryan and Ferns Reports. “Finally after decades everybody accepts that what happened to thousands of children was awful. But it wasn’t just awful, it was criminal and so far the only people who have been criminalised in this whole sorry tale are those children sent by the courts to these institutions and that’s simply not good enough”, said Cllr. Flynn.
He also called on fellow Councillors to lend their support for a new Charter for Children and a new Bill of Rights. The ensuing debate involved several Councillors, all of whom expressed their solidarity with the victims of abuse in childhood. The Lord Mayor commented that the debate was extremely moving and that the sentiments expressed by Cllr. Flynn had resonated throughout the Council Chamber, evidenced by the expressions of support given by his fellow Councillors and Management, who expressed their regret and sorrow at what had happened most especially to children who were criminalised and incarcerated under the Non-Attendance of School Act. The Lord Mayor stated that she fully supported and endorsed Cllr. Flynn’s motion, which was unanimously carried, and formally read it into the record of the City Council. She expressed her deep concern and regret at the abusive treatment to which children had been subjected, and emphasised the necessity to bring the perpetrators of these appalling crimes to justice. She added that the City Council would facilitate, where possible, the provision of relevant minutes of School Attendance Board Meetings through an archivist’s report, while respecting the sensitivities of the victims involved.
Ends.
For further information – please contact Lord Mayor, Cllr. Emer Costello at Tel: 086 3831805 or Cllr. Mannix Flynn at Tel: 087-2246664
Note to Editor
FULL TEXT OF MOTION – COUNCILLOR MANNIX FLYNN
That this Committee calls on the Lord Mayor, Councillor Emer Costello to issue a statement in relation to the Dublin Diocesan Report and its findings also that the Lord Mayor call a debate on the issue in chambers. Dublin City Councillors have a role to play in how the safety and the welfare of our children is managed and that this Council issue a statement of regret and apology to all those who were abused in residential institutions. The then Dublin Corporation administrated the Non-attendance of School Act on behalf of the Department of Justice. Children were brought before the Children’s Court under this act and incarcerated for long periods of time throughout their childhoods where they suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of those whose care they were entrusted. It is the duty of the now Dublin City Council to acknowledge its role in the history of residential institutions and set its record straight in the interest of healing and reconciliation. I believe it is now time for us to take this positive, responsible position.
hi dead man walking it sure is my name thanks for asking
i meant no offense by the way it was just a thought. i can understand though. lol
how do we know your real name is robert ? no offence in case you are really a robert ha
why are some people using strange names on here why not your own?
thank you very much for the vidio , Iagree that abuse is wide spread , when a child fall in the street,hurt and frightened , that get pulled upright and told thay should not fall over accedently, and then off thay toddle into a very unfair view of life
YOU ARE SO RIGHT THERE ROBERT. I WAS AT THE LAST ONE LAST FRIDAY. A TOTAL AND UTTER DISASTER, AS YOU SO RIGHTLY POINTED OUT, THEY HAVE MADE THE DECISIONS ALREADY BEFORE ANY MEETING IS HELD.
WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT PLACE, AND ITS DICTATORS THROWN OUT COMPLETELY. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE WORD DEMOCRACY MEANS.
BLOODY GANGSTERS, EVERY ONE OF THEM. BUT FEAR NOT, BECAUSE IT WILL CATCH UP WITH THEM ALL SOON ENOUGH, YOU MARK MY WORDS. WE HAVE ONLY STARTED.
hi mossie thank you for your reply.
thanks all the same but you know there is no such thing as a survivors meeting in that place.
they have no idea on how to run a democratic meeting only a shouting match with their members.
they have made decisions already before they hold any meeting so what do they expect?
A SHOUTING MATCH WHO SHOUTS LOUDEST.
i have heard enough shouting and it does not help anyone only makes things worse.
everyone is tired of these meetings. that group is not a support group at all never was never will be.
just a waste of money and painful to touch.
but thanks mossie it was good of you to answer my comment
there needs to be a public debate and rte need to do something regarding this. there are professional people out there who understand and care for survivors so let them stand our ground and have this debate with the government and the religious. BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT DICTATE THE FUNDS.
IN REPLY TO YOUR COMMENT ROBERT. WHICH RIGHT OF PLACE MEETING ARE YOU ON ABOUT. WAS IT LAST FRIDAYS MEETING BY ANY CHANCE? IF SO I CAN ENLIGHTEN YOU ON THAT MEETING, NO PROBLEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. REGARDS.
no media report yet on the right of place meeting as usual.
the media was never invited and they never will be by the groups why?
because the groups do not want to be exposed for doing nothing for survivors and their jobs would be at risk.
BUT who do these so called group leaders think they are?
if any survivor wants to bring a reporter solicitor lawyer spokesperson then what right do these groupies have to deny the survivors wishes. ONLY FEAR.
Irish Tourist Assistance Service
http://www.itas.ie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTmFXnWAy4w
;-)
Thanks very much for that Crispina. I’ve added it to my website down the right hand side of the index page under the heading of Child Abuse. Paddy
As information passed on at
http://www.paddydoyle.com/an-independent-state-appointed-representative-imperative-for-abuse-survivors/
Child abuse in institutions: PACE’s Social Committee holds a hearing
PACE’s Committee on Social Affairs today held a hearing on “Child abuse in institutions: ensuring full protection of the victims”, in the framework of the preparation of a report on the subject by Marlene Rupprecht (Germany, SOC).
Participants included Massimo Introvigne, sociologist (Vatican City);
Marian Shanley, Member of the Commision to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ireland); Christine Bergmann, Special Representative on Cases of Child Abuse (Germany); Helgard Van Hüllen, Member of the Executive Board of Victim Support Europe and Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General.
Video recording – Original version
Video recording – English version
http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/NewsManager/EMB_NewsManagerView.asp?ID=5695
A very big thanks to all of you who did make this possible.
I sincerely hope each and every one of you to be very proud of your dignity you used thus sharing with all of us !
Fair play to you Mannix. It’s chilling that not even ONE prosecution has come out of the Ryan Report … apparently a devastating report cataloguing child slavery, child rape, starvation, horrendous and criminal neglect, physical brutality, suspicious deaths, criminal cover-ups ….. Would it be an outrageous thing to say that the only people actually to have read the Ryan Report were the people who suffered. Astoundingly also it appears these people did not read your book Paddy – if they did there would have been no need for the Ryan Report.
Conclusion: The Ryan Report is just a sop to us … are we now expected to pull up stakes and go back to the shadows ?
NO WAY Mr Cowen … the Ryan Report is only the beginning ….
i personally think that if every member of the so called right of place group were to write into the management of right of place, and ask for their names to be taken off the databank that right of place holds. They would then have no mandate What so ever to act on ANYONES behalf. Therefore, when they go to The HSE, and ask for funds to Represent their Members, The HSE can then say, we will not fund you, as you represent NO ONE. That is one SURE way of Ridding ourselves in Right Of Place, and all the PARASITES it contains, there-in
the government should pay the full 600mil back to us it is most certainly not a fifty fifty deal. the full 600mil belongs to us. if the government paid for the redress and costs they got of lightly the ryan murphy reports prove this in court.
since this fund is not originally government money could survivors use these funds to fight for what IS right for survivors in court?
the government was 100% liable for the lives of thousands of children rights who were abuse neglected and so on in this country?
they trusted these religious fanatics without vetting them in the first place.
the ryan report is the evidence we have to go by.
is this just another speech, If so lets all do nature a favour and save paper, I think we went into the same machine twice , And up to now , no possibility at all has been given to the child prisoners to heal themselves . It is insulting to all of us to be fobbed off again and again .