Dáil hears how Christian Brother’s letter confessing to abuse was ‘concealed’

Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil a letter of confession by Sean Drummond had been ‘concealed’ (PA)

A letter of confession by a Christian Brother who abused boys at a Limerick school was concealed for decades, Mary Lou McDonald has told the Dáil.

The Sinn Féin leader said six men who “suffered horrific daily abuse” by Sean Drummond at Creagh Lane National School during the 1960s were in the public gallery during Leaders’ Questions on Wednesday.

“These men were failed catastrophically as children and treated appallingly as survivors, and for years they had to fight the state for recognition, justice and full compensation,” she said.

Ms McDonald said they “endured a lengthy Garda investigation” and the state claims agency “persisted in challenging the survivors”.

She continued: “Later it emerged that Drummond wrote a confession letter dated as far back as February 1970 in which he admitted abusing pupils in Creagh Lane School.

“Correspondence shows that the Christian Brothers in Dublin and in Rome were fully aware of the abuse committed by Drummond, but the confession letter was concealed.

“It was never given to the survivors so the investigation, the criminal case and the survivors’ civil cases were conducted without this key piece of evidence.

“Sean Drummond received a sentence of two years and he served five months. These men – and not just them, their families, their entire families – serve a life sentence on account of this abuse.”

She called on the Taoiseach to establish an independent investigation into the concealment of the letter and whether state agencies knew of its existence, and for all compensation owed to the survivors to be paid.

Micheál Martin said he “wasn’t aware” of the letter of confession, calling it “new information”.

He said he would take the matter further and discuss it with the Minister of Education, Hildegarde Naughton.

The Christian Brothers have been contacted for comment.