Report into historical abuse at schools to come before Cabinet

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

A report on allegations of historical sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders, which includes a recommendation to set up a statutory inquiry, is to come before Cabinet on Tuesday.

Last year, the Spiritan Congregation apologised to victims of abuse and said an independent group would engage with survivors at its schools and institutions, including Dublin’s Blackrock College.

The abuse allegations go back as far as the 1970s.

The Government set up a scoping inquiry to shape its response to allegations of historical sexual abuse in boarding and day schools run by religious orders.

Minister of Education. Norma Foley received the report, written by Mary O’Toole SC, in June this year.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet on Tuesday, Taoiseach Simon Harris thanked Ms Foley for how she had “handled this extraordinarily important, sensitive issue”.

He said she was engaging with survivors of sexual abuse and this would be the approach taken by the government.

“It is a statement of fact that the minister has received the scoping report that has been carried out,” he said.

“But she and I and everybody in government know in terms of the next steps, the people we want to know first are the survivors, are the representatives that the minister has been engaging with, and I can assure you that’s the way in which we will proceed.”