Mixed reaction to Laffoy replacement

THE appointment of senior counsel Sean Ryan as Justice Mary Laffoy’s replacement to chair the child abuse inquiry has received a mixed reaction from victim’s groups.

Education Minister Noel Dempsey named Mr Ryan as chairperson designate of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse yesterday, ahead of Ms Justice Laffoy’s resignation in November.

Mr Ryan, who will be made a High Court judge to give him complete independence, has also been asked to completely review the commission’s workings within two months. His recommendations will be brought to Government, which will then decide what changes, if any, should be made to laws governing the commission.

The Government’s review, which led to Ms Justice Laffoy’s resignation, has been put on hold pending the outcome of Mr Ryan’s review. A spokesperson for Mr Dempsey said a High Court judgement on a constitutional challenge of the commission taken by the Christian Brothers could have an impact on the review.

The One in Four support group said the appointment was an important step forward, although they had asked the Government to appoint somebody from outside the jurisdiction.

“There is still much to be resolved and we again urge the Government to make public all proposals for the reform of the commission and ensure any review is as transparent as possible,” said director Colm O’Gorman.

Mr Ryan’s report will be published but it was unclear last night whether this will happen before or after it is presented to Government.

The Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA) group urged the new commission chairperson to consult with them as part of his review.

“We have been left out of the process up to now and we want to tell Mr Ryan that his proposals to Government should make the commission completely independent of the Department of Education, with regard to staffing and funding,” said co-ordinator John Kelly.

Mr Dempsey said the commission is working reasonably well and victims would be well served if the investigation committee does its job in a shorter timeframe.

“We’re trying to get a conclusion that’s satisfactory to the victims of abuse as quickly as possible. Obviously, the shorter the time scale, the less money it’s going to cost,” he said.

Asked about speculation that the cost of the commission and payments from the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) could reach €1 billion, he said the Government’s estimate remains at €500 million.