Department accused of 'institutional gaslighting' over abuse survivor supports

Children's minister Norma Foley has told the 'Irish Examiner' she is not going to hold a public tribunal into St John’s Ambulance and, instead, is engaging with the charity about supports for survivors. File Picture: Julien Behal Photography

A whistleblower who reported child sex abuse at the St John’s Ambulance charity has made a formal complaint to the Standards in Public Office (Sipo) about the minister for children over what he says are “false claims about supports for survivors”.

Mick Finnegan, aged 42, from Crumlin, South Dublin, was the first to report that he was raped by a former member of the charity as a 12-year-old volunteer. Up to 15 other survivors have since come forward with allegations against the same man who has since retired.

A report by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, published in March 2023, into the abuse at St John’s Ambulance said the charity did not act against the abuser despite being aware of the significant risks he posed to children.

Children's minister Norma Foley has told the Irish Examiner she is not going to hold a public tribunaltarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> into St John’s Ambulance and, instead, is engaging with the charity about supports for survivors — something Mr Finnegan claims is being misrepresented.

In a complaint to Sipo submitted earlier this month, and seen by the Irish Examiner, he said the minister was “refusing to engage with survivors”, had “misrepresented survivor supports”, and was “gaslighting” them.

Mr Finnegan went on to say: “The department’s false claims about ‘outreach’ for abuse survivors aren’t just bureaucratic spin, they’re institutional gaslighting.

When senior officials pretend not to understand basic safeguarding terms, or when a minister refuses to meet survivors while her department misleads the public, it sends a clear message: They’re still not taking abuse survivors seriously

"I’ve been forced to file complaints with Sipo, Coru [the statutory body that registers and regulates health and social care professionals], and the Children's Ombudsman because empty promises won’t heal the wounds of institutional betrayal.

"The question now is whether anyone in power will finally act or if they’ll keep hiding behind paperwork and PR."

'No accountability'

His complaint to Sipo comes after lengthy correspondence with the minister about the full implementation of the recommendations made by Dr Shannon — which have not all been done.

Mr Finnegan said: “While there have been three progress reports since Dr Shannon’s review, the full recommendations of the review have not been implemented by St John Ambulance and there has been no accountability.

He also said the minister is mistaking outreach support for counselling services.

“I can’t keep doing this, it is exhausting," he told the Irish Examiner.

 "Yet more than 15 men came forward, we protested, we spoke out, and we got the review — but with that amount of people coming forward, there should be an inquiry, and the minister said she’s not doing one.

That is very hard to take and, meanwhile, more survivors keep reaching out to me, but they wont go to the gardaí

"I don't blame them. If I'd known back then how this would all turn out, I would have kept my mouth shut and said nothing — the emotional toll of all of this nearly killed me," he added.

The accused — who is elderly — has never been convicted, but a previous Tusla report found that abuse did take place.

The Department of Children has been contacted.