‘Zero’ progress on issues for survivors of institutional abuse – Cork survivor
Tom Cronin, who was sent to St Joseph’s Industrial School in Greenmount, Cork, at the age of seven, said recent consultations between the Department of Education and survivors amounted to a 'talking shop' and that 'zero' progress had been made. Picture: Denis Minihane
A 69-year-old survivor of an industrial school in Cork has launched a blistering attack on the Government for failing to make any progress on outstanding pension and redress issues for survivors of institutional abuse.
Tom Cronin, who was sent to St Joseph’s Industrial School in Greenmount, Cork at the age of seven, said recent consultations between the Department of Education and survivors amounted to a “talking shop” and that “zero” progress had been made since comprehensive submissions were made last year.
Mr Cronin was commenting in the wake of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague being asked this week to investigate the “violent legacy” of mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries, and industrial schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
While Mr Cronin welcomed the request for the ICC to investigate whether systemic abuses in these institutions amounted to “crimes against humanity”, he said action is also needed on more pressing and outstanding issues before survivors die.
In 2019, a consultation commissioned by the Department of Education highlighted health and housing needs and social supports among a range of issues identified among 100 survivors who took part.
The consultation led to an interdepartmental committee being established to examine the future needs of survivors as well as further engagement on outstanding issues and submissions to the department over the past year but little has happened since.
“It’s a disgrace. We had one consultation with the department and made submissions which took months to do and now there is not a whisper from them,” Mr Cronin said.
“A lot of research went into these submissions but zero has happened. It’s just been left to lie there and that’s just not good enough.
More than 10 years on from the Ryan Report into institutional abuse, Mr Cronin is himself taking legal action against the Department of Education over his right to access the justice system and a ‘gagging order’ on survivors compensated under the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme. The case will also challenge the constitutionality of legal aid provisions and elements of the redress scheme.
The former chairman of the Irish Survivors of Institutional Abuse said many survivors had died since attending the redress board set up in response to the findings of the Ryan Report and that any further delay in addressing outstanding issues was “sinister” and “cruel” to those remaining.
“What is happening is that all of these people are dying. And I have to think that at this stage that’s what they want,” Mr Cronin said.
“They haven’t dealt with it in the past and they are not dealing with it now either,” he added.
