National school sex abuse victim: We have been abandoned by the State

Despite a number of statements by successive ministers, an overhaul of the scheme has been implemented, leaving victims with nowhere to turn. Picture: Pexels

Victims of child sexual abuse in Irish national schools have been abandoned by the state, according to one of those affected.

The Irish Examiner revealed last month that just 16 out of a potential 210 payments have been made in the last six years to people who took legal action against the State over school child sexual abuse.

Despite a number of statements by successive ministers, an overhaul of the scheme, which offers ex-gratia payments to those who initiated proceedings against the State, has not been implemented, leaving victims with nowhere to turn.

John*, (name has been withheld) was abused by a paedophile choirmaster in a north Dublin national school from age 10, says despite society's acknowledgement of victims of clerical abuse, those abused in state schools have been forgotten.

Answers light on information

"Redress seems to be the only thing I can do in order to get some closure, as the teacher is long dead," he said. "The minister's answers on this are light on information, you still don't know where you stand.

"The state decided they weren't responsible for these teachers, that they were off the hook at first, and even so now, despite these platitudes, they don't seem to be in a hurry to sort this one out.

"I know people who haven't been affected who look at this and say 'not another one', but unfortunately these legacy issues are going to turn up."

John* did not tell Gardaí or his parents he was being abused at the time but later told his parents after undergoing counselling for depression.

"It seems to be a regular thing," he said. "Victims bury it and very seldom do anything about it.

"I'm good at compartmentalising it now but at the same time, I feel damaged and I'm having to fight the state here, its the only way you can get an acknowledgement, this seems to be the way of settling matters and getting an apology so you can park it."

"It feels like they (the Government) have turned their back on national school victims, they will use the pandemic as an excuse or the court of public opinion when there isn't enough interest in it. 

"It's a bit cynical, the empathy is not serious, only activists keep the pot on the boil."

A scheme announced in 2015 offers ex-gratia payments to those who initiated proceedings against the State over the abuse but who subsequently discontinued their claims.
Claimants were required to prove they were sexually abused while at school by a school employee where a prior complaint of sexual abuse to the school authority (or a school where the employee had previously worked) had been made.

In 2019, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill reviewed the judgment and found the State was wrong in its interpretation which had led it to close off the ex-gratia payment scheme to certain survivors whose abuser did not have complaints recorded against them.

Department review

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "The department is committed to fairly exploring the issues raised by the independent assessor in relation to the ex gratia scheme. The department, in association with the Office of the Attorney General, has committed significant resources to the review.

"As the review has yet to be concluded the department is not in a position to indicate when the scheme will be announced."