Huge increase in calls to abuse helpline following Spiritans revelations

In the wake of the broadcast of an RTÉ documentary citing abuse of pupils at Blackrock College in the 1970s and 1980s, there has been a spike in contacts to gardaí and a survivors' group. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

Gardaí have been contacted about 32 cases of abuse at Spiritan-run schools in the last three weeks, with a survivors' group saying its contacts have multiplied more than tenfold.

Education Minister Norma Foley told the Dáil chamber yesterday that 27 of the Garda contacts were from survivors, three from witnesses, and two on behalf of survivors. The reports relate to alleged incidents dating from 1954 until 1991, Ms Foley said.