Blackrock College was told of abuse claims 20 years ago, Dáil hears

An individual currently in a “key leadership role” in Blackrock College was informed of specific abuse allegations 20 years ago and told other survivors who approached him to return with “proof and a solicitor”, the Dáil has heard.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the issue of abuse in the Spiritan-run Blackrock College is “not just an historic issue” amid intensifying calls for a public inquiry into abuse at the college and other religious-run educational institutions.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government is looking at the most appropriate model for an inquiry and said a non-statutory inquiry based on the Scally inquiry into the CervicalCheck scandal could be seen as a “a good model, albeit in a very different circumstance to statutory ones which could also be very good models”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there is not yet a timetable for when the inquiry will be set up.

He said he will be speaking to the Opposition next week and he wants to meet victims and survivors of abuse.

Asked if it could extend to schools other than Blackrock Mr Martin suggested there could be different modules adding: “We want it to be victim-led so we’ll meet with the victims.

“We’ll hear what they have to say and see how best we can design an approach to this because we want to learn lessons from previous inquiries as well into child abuse and see can we do this in a sensitive manner, in an empathetic manner and a timely manner.”

Mr Martin also said: “We have to get a report back from the Attorney General and his thoughts and the Gardaí in respect of existing cases that may be happening or cases that may yet happen in respect of prosecutions.

“Whatever we do we can not undermine the criminal justice system pursuing evil people who have done terrible wrong.

“And we don’t want to compromise any such potential prosecutions into the future.”

During leaders’ questions Ms Bacik said “there are people still currently in leadership roles in particular in Blackrock College who have had continuous ongoing involvement with the college for 40 years.

“And I’m well aware that one individual currently in a key leadership role who was told of specific abuse allegations in 2002 and who has, over the past decade been approached by other survivors, who have been told by him to go away and not return unless they have proof and a solicitor with them.”

Ms Bacik welcomed the apology from the Spiritans and the announcement that they that they will establish an independent process to provide a forum for survivors of abuse to come forward.

She called for a broad inquiry that looked at different aspects of the scandal. “We know also that such an inquiry must be survivor led, it must seek to review the extent of the abuse and crucially, the existence of institutional cover ups in individual schools and by particular orders.

“And it should also seek to examine the role of the State and in particular the failures of the state what the State could and should have done to prevent abuse in schools where the teachers were paid by the State and the schools were receiving significant public funding.”

Asked about her claims on Thursday, the Spiritans had no comment. The order also said a man who Ms Bacik had described in the Dáil on Wednesday as a person against whom serious allegations of abuse have been made is no longer living on the grounds of Blackrock College.

Mr Varadkar said there was broad welcome for an inquiry but “it’s really important to get the terms of reference” right.

“Inquiries can range from non-statutory inquiries such as the Scally report, which I think people would see as a good model, albeit in a very different circumstance to statutory ones”, he said.

Statutory inquiries could also “be very good models but obviously can take a very long time as well. And one thing that you need to bear in mind is that we don’t want to do anything that might compromise any Garda inquiries or any prosecutions”.

Later, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there is not yet a timetable for when the inquiry will be set up. He said he will be speaking to the Opposition next week and he wants to meet victims and survivors of abuse.

Asked if it could extend to schools other than Blackrock, Mr Martin suggested there could be different modules.

“We want it to be victim-led so we’ll meet with the victims,” he said. “We’ll hear what they have to say and see how best we can design an approach to this because we want to learn lessons from previous inquiries as well into child abuse and see can we do this in a sensitive manner, in an empathetic manner and a timely manner.”

“Whatever we do we can not undermine the criminal justice system pursuing evil people who have done terrible wrong. And we don’t want to compromise any such potential prosecutions into the future.”

Ms Bacik highlighted the level of abuse in Blackrock College. “At that one school alone, we’re now learning of the really horrific scale of the abuse”. She said that “out of the class of 1979, 25 boys out of 120 in that class, have now reported abuse, a staggering figure of 21 per cent.”

She added: “We know that 300 individuals have now come forward, disclosing abuse perpetrated upon them and yet just three of the 77 Spiritans with allegations made against them have criminal convictions.”

Ms Bacik said “there are those currently in leadership roles in particular schools, who have been in those roles for so long, many decades, in some cases... it’s very difficult to believe that they did not have knowledge of the abuse that was being perpetrated there”.

Mr Varadkar said the Government was very concerned about the matter. “The cruelty and pervasive nature of the allegations is truly shocking.

“My thoughts in the first instance are with survivors who have bravely told us their story.”

He said “parents must be able to send their children to school in the knowledge that they’re not only receiving the best education they can, but also that they’re in a safe environment”.