Irish Examiner view: Review reveals how the State has utterly failed its children

The sheer scale of the alleged abuse described in the scoping report is breathtaking

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD at a press conference following the launch of the report of the scoping inquiry into historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders. Picture: Arthur Carron/Collins

To describe the scoping inquiry report, which details allegations of historical sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders, as “a harrowing document” does not even comeclose to capturing the depths of depravity and despair encompassed in it.

The sheer scale of the alleged abuse described in the report is breathtaking. It covers 2,395 allegations of historical sexual abuse at 308 schools run by the religious orders, with allegations being levelled against 884 people. There are 17 special schools where 590 allegations were recorded, involving 190 alleged abusers.

It is an appalling revelation of a parallel world — a hidden society in which children were preyed upon by hundreds of criminals who betrayed the trust of the country for decades.

Shocking though the numbers are, those who compiled the report have accepted that the total number of those abused is probably higher, as underreporting of such abuse is common.

One heartbreaking aspect of the participants’ testimony was the long shadow cast over their lives by this abuse.

Many described the ongoing negative impact on their mental health and personal relationships, showing that the terrible legacy left by the abusers has lasted — for many — right up to the present day.

By abdicating its responsibility for the most vulnerable citizens in the country to religious orders, the State failed those children utterly. There is no other way to phrase it.

This is another shameful chapter in our State’s modern history, which has far too many examples of widespread abuses of power when it comes to protecting those who need protection the most.

Late though it is, the State can now try to find some semblance of resolution for those people. Yesterday, Education Minister Norma Foley said a “high-level” group is to start work on the terms of reference for a commission of investigation immediately. However, that group must tread carefully. Advocacy group Restore Together has already stated that any inquiry must avoid providing cover to the religious orders, which would slow down redress.

From now on, for once, let us try and do some justice for those who suffered this abuse without delay.

Shed the cost 

The rolling outrage about Ireland’s most expensive bike shed continues, with the Taoiseach sharing his opinion yesterday about the €335,000 bike shelter on the grounds of Leinster House.

“I think it is inexcusable and inexplicable,” said Simon Harris. “This is the sort of thing that rightly angers and annoys people.”

True enough. The bike shed performs several different functions at once before one includes the provision of a dry place to park one’s Raleigh near Leinster House.

It offers a chance for good knockabout fun in the sense that it offers everyone an obvious stick to beat the Government.

Many people have pointed out that this open-sided shelter is the same price as a second-hand house in many parts of the country, while the controversy is particularly attractive to opposition parties with a general election on the horizon.

Expect the term ‘bike shed’ to be turned into an efficient catch-all term, then, summarising the shortcomings of the current administration — and to be broadcast on heavy rotation when canvassing begins in the coming election.

There is a resonance to the bike shed cost, however, which goes beyond a slogan handy for the hustings. The exorbitant cost is another example of waste in the civil service which
appears to be cultural, one in which revenue generated by taxpayers can sometimes appear to be treated like Monopoly money.

Yesterday, for instance, we also learned the staggering extent of overpayments by the Department of Social Protection. Almost €1.1bn in welfare overpayments have been paid out in the past decade, with nearly 300 people owing more than €100,000 each in back payments by the end of 2022. To say this suggests a relaxed attitude to financial management is an understatement, and in that context it is worth considering the terms used to explain the overpayments in the Department’s accounts — ‘suspected fraud’, ‘customer error’, ‘official error’, or ‘estate cases’.

As for the bike shed controversy, it may also be the ultimate riposte to arguments for a national home-building agency, for instance. It would be hard to trust a State agency to build houses efficiently if this is what a small bike shed costs.

Tourist must pay the price for entry 

Has the Land of the Long White Cloud offered us a glimpse of the future when it comes to tourism?

New Zealand is to raise entry fees for tourists almost threefold — its government has said it plans to increase the international visitor and conservation and tourism fees, starting on October 1, to NZ$100 (€56) from NZ$35 (€19.90) to “ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand”.

The key part of that sentence is “public services”. New Zealand is arguing that its infrastructure is struggling to cope with the rising number of visitors to the country. This echoes claims made from Venice to Mount Everest about popular tourist destinations becoming simply too popular, in some cases being overrun by the sheer weight of visitors.

As a relatively small country popular with overseas visitors, New Zealand bears some resemblance to Ireland. Is such a charge in our future as well?

Our own national infrastructure is also under severe pressure and such a charge would raise significant revenue.

However, the tourism and hospitality sectors in New Zealand have been loud in their objections to the charge, complaining that it will have a serious impact on business. On that basis, we might be better advised to maintain a watching brief before imposing a similar charge here.