Former TD allowed paedophile cousin to canvass as he 'didn't realise' extent of abuse

It has been suggested some victims were very upset to see Bill Kenneally come to their door when canvassing, having been abused by him previously

Willie O'Dea and Brendan Kenneally at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in 1997. Mr Kenneally has said we did not become aware of the abuse perpetrated by his cousin Bill until 2001. Picture: Billy Higgins

A former Fianna Fáil TD has said that after he learned his cousin Bill Kenneally had been abusing boys, Kenneally still canvassed for him in the run up to an election because he “didn’t realise at that point the extent” of the prolific paedophile’s abuse.

Brendan Kenneally, appearing for a second and final day at a commission of investigation today, rejected claims that he had an “apathy” towards the offending of his cousin, and said that he wasn’t “keeping it quiet” by not reporting the abuse to gardaí or other authorities when he learned about it in 2001.