Quinn calls for school to become a museum

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.