Fear for abuse records as minister switched

We in the Bethany Survivors campaign and in representing survivors of other Protestant institutions are concerned about the switch of Charlie Flanagan from Children’s Minister to Foreign Affairs.

Over a number of weeks, alongside other organisations, our representatives explained personally to Mr Flanagan our experiences of abuse in children’s institutions. We noted his close attention to the testimony being delivered.

The first hand recording of testimony was invaluable in helping the minister formulate terms of reference for the forthcoming inquiry into mother and baby and related institutions. Since he is gone and the terms are not published we are apprehensive that his first hand experience will depart on the first available flight to Brussels.