LIMERICK Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins was told that a report considering a government redress scheme for victims of sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders in Ireland is due to give to findings to the cabinet in the “coming weeks”.
It comes in the wake of an article by the Limerick Post last week, highlighting the revelation that 13 out of 15 Jesuit priests, whom the Order named as credible paedophiles, had taught in Limerick schools run by the Jesuits.
Despite one of the abusers, Fr Oliver Joseph O’Brien, admitting his guilt, he was shepherded out of Limerick to a serve in a Jesuit ministry in Adelaide, Australia.
During Dáil parliamentary questions this past week, Deputy Collins asked the Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, when the redress scheme for victims of sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders will begin and if she would make a statement on the matter.
Minister McEntee told Deputy Collins that the government had “accepted the recommendation to establish a Commission of Investigation, which is the principal recommendation of the report of the Scoping Inquiry into historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders”.
Minister McEntee informed the Limerick TD that the Scoping Inquiry had “made a number of further recommendations, including that consideration be given by government to establishing a redress scheme”.
“A high level inter-departmental group (IDG) has been convened to examine the recommendations of the report and to consider the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation,” Minister McEntee said.
“This group is considering the issues arising from the recommendations of the report of the Scoping Inquiry and will advise on both the recommendations and the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation.”
“This will include its views on the recommendation that government should give consideration to a redress scheme.
“The group is due to report to the Minister for Education in the coming weeks,” Minister McEntee concluded.