Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 3

Written Answers. - Child Abuse.

Seán Ryan

Question:

33 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the terms of reference for the commission on childhood abuse; the way in which the commission will proceed; the timescale involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20184/99]

Donal Carey

Question:

80 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress, if any, made by the commission to investigate cases of child abuse in institutions under the supervision of his Department; and when victims will have the opportunity to have their experience assessed. [20007/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 80 together.

As the Deputies will be aware the commission is an independent body, chaired by a judge of the High Court. Accordingly, the conduct of its proceedings will be a matter for the commission itself to decide. Upon the establishment of the commission it was given broad terms of reference as follows: to afford victims of abuse in childhood an opportunity to tell of the abuse they suffered to a sympathetic and experienced forum; to establish as complete a picture as possible of the causes, nature and extent of physical and sexual abuse of children in institutions and in other places during the period from 1940, or such earlier date as the commission considers appropriate, to the present, including the antecedents, circumstances, factors and context of such abuse, the perspectives of the victims and the motives and perspectives of the persons responsible for committing abuse; to compile a report and publish it to the general public on the activities and findings of the commission, containing such recommendations as the commission considers appropriate including actions which should be taken to address the continuing effects of the abuse examined by the commission and actions to be taken to safeguard children against abuse for the future; to appoint specialist advisers to supply information or elucidate areas of complexity, to conduct investigations, hold hearings, both private and public and conduct or commission research for the purposes of carrying out these terms of reference.

The first responsibility of the commission was to decide on certain preliminary matters as follows – to review the terms of reference and decide if they required alteration or addition, to recommend to Government what statutory pow ers and protections they would need to carry out their mandate and to decide on how they would conduct their proceedings. The commission submitted an interim report in September in which they sought some clarifications of their terms of reference and I have been informed by the commission that a second report dealing conclusively with the preliminary matters will be made in the very near future.

The Government is committed to proceeding with any legislation necessary to the work of the commission as a priority and generally will assist the commission so that access to it by victims can take place at the earliest possible opportunity.