Concern over progress of abuse claims report

RAPE Crisis Network Ireland has expressed concern at the length of time it is taking to complete a report into claims of abuse at Brothers of Charity residential institutions in Galway.

The Western Health Board has yet to complete a report first requested over five-and-a-half years ago by the director of the Brothers of Charity in Galway, Patrick McGinley.

The requested report was part of an effort to encourage people who may have suffered or witnessed abuse to come forward so it could be investigated and counselling offered.

“If there is sexual abuse going on, nothing has been done about it for five years, because we have no findings and no recommendations,” said Fiona Neary of Rape Crisis Network Ireland.

Ms Neary said they were especially concerned because international studies showed people with intellectual disabilities were at greater risk of being sexually violated.

A spokesperson for the Western Health Board said their investigation was ongoing and the complexity of the issue only became apparent once the process was underway.

“Any issues of concern that became apparent in the course of the investigation are being dealt with immediately,” she said.

Mr McGinley said he felt it was inappropriate for him to comment on the report because he had requested it and agreed the health board should have all the time they needed to complete it.

He also agreed to give the health board whatever access it needed.

“I asked all of our staff to co-operate with the investigation and asked all of our service users to come forward if they had any concerns,” he said.

Earlier this year, Mr McGinley requested a health board evaluation of the care of severely intellectually disabled adults at the Kilcornan Centre in Clarinbridge, Co Galway.

The evaluation led to a recommendation that the centre be closed and the 77 people in care be moved into the community.

Mr McGinley said Kilcornan was built 50 years ago when the emphasis on treating people with severe physical and intellectual disabilities was institution-centred. “It was a pro-active approach on our part to try to ensure and enhance the safety of our services generally,” he said.