Taoiseach asked to clarify comments on Christian Brother's sexual abuse 'confession letter'

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil last week that a letter of confession by a Christian Brother who abused boys at a Limerick school was concealed for decades

The Dáil heard that Christian Brother Seán Drummond (pictured) had written a 'confession letter dated as far back as February 1970 in which he admitted abusing pupils in Creagh Lane School'. File picture: Liam Burke/Press 22

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to clarify Dáil remarks that suggested he was “not aware” of a “confession letter” of the Creagh Lane abuser.

Ms McDonald told the Dáil last week that a letter of confession by a Christian Brother who abused boys at a Limerick school was concealed for decades. She said boys “suffered horrific daily abuse” by Seán Drummond at Creagh Lane National School during the 1960s.

She told the Dáil that Drummond had written a “confession letter dated as far back as February 1970 in which he admitted abusing pupils in Creagh Lane School”. Ms McDonald further suggested that the letter was “concealed” by the Christian Brothers in Dublin and Rome.

In response, the Taoiseach responded that he “was not aware of the confession letter of Seán Drummond”.

However, Ms McDonald has now written to Mr Martin saying that the survivors had been “disappointed” by the suggestion he was not aware of the letter, suggesting that survivors had told him about it.

“They say that they told you of this confession letter in 2024, initially when one of them met you on a walkabout at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick and subsequently in a letter which they sent to you in June 2024 to re-state the existence of the confession letter and the implications re: redress,” she wrote.

“They say that then minister of education Norma Foley’s office acknowledged receipt of the correspondence on June 21, 2024, which they said had been sent to the minister of education from your office. The existence of this confession letter subsequently entered the public domain through RTÉ's coverage of their case.”

The Irish Examiner has seen an email sent to Mr Martin in June 2024 from one survivor noting the conversation in Limerick about the confession letter. A letter to Ms Foley was attached to the email, with further details about the confession. 

The Department of Education responded to the survivor later that month, noting that Mr Martin had referred the correspondence to her office.

Ms McDonald asked Mr Martin to clarify his remarks in the Dáil and who in his office was aware of the correspondence. 

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said that he "has never received the confession letter of, nor has the Department of Taoiseach any record of the 1970 letter from Christian Brother Sean Drummond".

“As the Taoiseach said in the Dail last week, he and Government are very conscious of the impact and trauma experienced by the survivors of the horrific abuse carried out by Sean Drummond, and the ongoing work to address historical abuse," he said.

• Louise Burne, political correspondent