Survivor of sexual abuse at religious school calls for State apology 

David Ryan said he would continue to work to see other alleged victims and survivors get the justice they deserve. File Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

A survivor of sexual abuse at a religious-run school in Dublin has called on the State to issue an apology to victims and survivors and called on other victims and survivors to come forward.

A total of 2,395 allegations were made against 884 teachers, priests, and others in 308 schools across Ireland in the Government's long-awaited report into sexual abuse at religious-run boarding and day-schools, published at the beginning of the month.

In the wake of the scoping report's publication, gardaí said they have been contacted more than 160 times in relation to allegations of historical abuse in the country's religious-run schools.

David Ryan, who suffered sexual abuse on the campus of Blackrock College in Dublin during the 1970s, says he has not yet read the report but is planning to do so in his own time.

Speaking to RTÉ, Mr Ryan said he would continue to work to see other alleged victims and survivors get the justice they deserve.

At the start of this month, Education Minister Norma Foley confirmed that, following a strong recommendation from the scoping inquiry, a commission of investigation would be established into historical sexual abuses in day and boarding schools run by religious orders.

More than half of those accused of abuse in the scoping inquiry are known to be deceased. Many victims have also died without seeing justice or redress, including David's brother, Mark.

David Ryan called for the commission of investigation to be completed as quickly as possible. 

"I never know when I'm going to go, I would like this before I go, for my sake, and for Mark's."

He also called for a State apology.

There's more people that have been hurt, severely hurt. And the pain is still there, we're all suffering still.

"It'll never go, it'll always be there. But I'm able to cope with it better, there are dark days still, there certain anniversaries, certain dates that will trigger it."

'National trauma'

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the scoping inquiry report had "unleashed a national trauma".

He thanked David Ryan and his late brother Mark for their courage in coming forward.

Referencing the Ryan report — an expansive inquiry into child abuse at residential institutions for children run by the Catholic Church between 1936 and 1999; the Cloyne report  — which scrutinised child protection practices in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne and how it dealt with complaints against 19 priests made from 1996; the Murphy report  — which investigated how Church and State authorities handled allegations of child abuse against 46 priests over a period from 1975 to 2004; and the mother and baby home report, Mr Harris said with the publication of each, "we're getting further insight into this group cruelty that existed in our country and a cruelty that so many people must have known about".

Speaking on Morning Ireland, Mr Harris said there was a need for an “apology and atonement”.

Asked if there would be a formal State apology, the Taoiseach said: “I can’t see a scenario where there isn’t a State apology.

“And I want to say today as Taoiseach: "I am so sorry and I feel such a deep sense of sorrow, hurt, anger and disgust – and we will get this right.”