Alan Shatter Speech on Cloyne Report, RTE News, July 20, 2011

Alan Shatter Speech on Cloyne Report

RTE News
July 20, 2011

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0720/cloyne2.html

Cloyne Report - Alan Shatter speech

Statement by the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter on the Dail Motion on the report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, in Dail Eireann.

Last Wednesday, I published the Cloyne report, and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and I set out the Government's response. On that occasion, I said that it is difficult to read the Cloyne Report and avoid despair.

My feelings have been strengthened by the reactions of victims and their families in the week since the report was published.

Sadly, some of the victims are no longer with us, but their families have spoken. We owe a debt of gratitude to the victims for their courage in telling the Commission of Investigation of their experiences, both of the abuse and of what happened afterwards when they came in contact with those in authority and who were in a position to take action which would have made a difference to their plight and the plight of others.

I share the Commission's hope that it's publication may, in some degree, alleviate the hurt and anger which they rightly and naturally feel. We should also pay tribute to the work of all those individuals and organisations that have supported them.

I also acknowledge the contribution of Judge Yvonne Murphy and her colleagues on the Commission of Investigation.

They have delivered a report of clarity and have carried out their difficult task sensitively and meticulously. The victims had to relive painful memories - and the Commission members had to help them to relive those memories in the least distressing way possible, while at the same maintaining a professional approach. They succeeded admirably in doing this.

The report's findings are unambiguous.

It is severely critical of the Diocese of Cloyne. The diocese's response to complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse in the period from 1996 up to 2008 was totally inadequate and inappropriate.

Specifically, Church guidelines were not fully or consistently implemented in the diocese. Primary responsibility for this lies with the bishop who the report describes as ineffective and the vicar general charged with investigating complaints against priests of child sexual abuse who did not approve of the procedures set out in the Church guidelines, in particular the requirement to report to the civil authorities.

The diocese failed to report all complaints to the Gardai - out of 15 complaints in the period that should have been reported, nine were not.

In two of these, the subject of the complaint was a minor at the time the complaint was made. After reporting complaints against one priest in 1996, the diocese did not report any complaints to the health authorities again until 2008.

Furthermore, the diocese did not put a proper support system in place, as mandated by Church guidelines or operate an advisory panel which was independent.

The panel's documentation was inadequate, and the diocese did not properly record and maintain information about complaints of child sexual abuse up to 2008.

The report describes as quite extraordinary the failure to read and take heed of a report on the diocese's procedures and processes (the McCoy report of 2004), which showed that the diocese was not implementing required procedures.

The diocese did not carry out proper canonical investigations nor did it comply with the 1999 Child Care Guidelines. As I said last week, it is appalling that those who presented a public face of concern had a private agenda of concealment and evasion.

I should add that the Commission found that, in 2008, the diocese started to follow the procedures set out in the Church documents, and it is satisfied that the diocese now has an independent advisory panel.

It commends the diocese for it's efforts in training both Church personnel and the laity in the area of child protection and for recruiting risk assessment specialists in 2009.

What is particularly disturbing is the Commission's finding that the Vatican's response to the Church guidelines was entirely unhelpful,

describing them as "merely a study document". This gave comfort and support to those who dissented from the guidelines. The Vatican's intervention and the letter sent by the Papal Nuncio not only undermined the obligation of dioceses to comply with the Church's own Framework Document, it also undermined application of the State's Childcare Guidelines.

Rightly, the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has pursued this matter with the Papal Nuncio. We await a response.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and I share a twofold approach. We are responding to the immediate problems identified in the Report. But secondly, and importantly, we are introducing measures which will help establish a system of child protection that our children need and deserve.We cannot depend on the undertakings of others to correct failings and introduce robust and effective structures of protection. Cloyne rrefutably confirms that some who, in the past, gave such undertakings acted in bad faith.

It is important to remember that the people primarily responsible for the abuse at the centre of this report were the abusers themselves.

Assistant Commissioner

The Garda Commissioner has appointed Assistant Commissioner Derek Byrne to examine the report to see whether any further action can be taken against the abusers referred to in it. The Gardai have set up a special telephone line which victims of clerical abuse, or anyone who has information about it, can contact. That number is (01) 666 3612.

Following the publication of the report into the Dublin Archdiocese, Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahoney was appointed to examine it, specifically in relation to how complaints were handled and investigated by the Church and State authorities, to see whether any criminal behaviour took place. A number of files have been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the examination will now be extended to the Cloyne report.

After publication of the Dublin Archdiocese report, the Garda Inspectorate was requested to carry out a comprehensive review of Garda arrangements for

dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse. I have agreed with the Chief Inspector, Kathy O'Toole that, in the coming weeks, prior to publication of their report, they will be given a chance to review their findings in the light of the Cloyne report.

Most regrettably, the Commission was very concerned about the approach adopted by Gardai in a small number of cases. Following consultations with the Garda Commissioner, I have sent the report to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission to examine it as a matter of urgency and see whether any further action is warranted. That examination is taking place at present.

It is important to note that the Commission's overall conclusion was that the Garda response in relation to the cases covered by the report was generally adequate and appropriate. A number of complainants were highly complimentary about the way in which the Gardai dealt with their complaints.

I am also determined to deal with the deeper gaps which underlay the report. Last week, I published detailed legislative proposals for a Criminal Justice (Withholding Information on Crimes against Children and Vulnerable Adults) Bill.

What I am proposing will, make it an offence, punishable by up to five years imprisonment, for a person who has information that could help in the arrest, prosecution or conviction of an offender, for a serious offence committed against a child or vulnerable adult, not to pass that information on to the Gardai, where they know that information could help.

We have already done substantial work on this in consultation with the Attorney General and her Office, and I intend that it will be a Government legislative priority to have it enacted in the autumn.

It's enactment will enable the Gardai and the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate and prosecute those who conceal and fail to report to the Gardai sexual offences against children. The legal position will be clear.

We have to ensure insofar as possible that those who come into contact with children do not represent a danger. There is widespread agreement that we need to make it possible to disclose what is called 'soft' information where this is necessary to protect children. (Such information is information which, following investigation, be it criminal or administrative, gives rise to a bona fide concern that an individual may cause or attempt to cause harm to a child or vulnerable adult.) I intend to make this happen.

I am working to bring proposals to Government next week setting out the Heads of a National Vetting Bureau Bill to place the vetting of persons working with children and vulnerable adults on a statutory basis.

The vetting of persons for certain employment positions is currently available on a non-statutory basis.

This Bill will provide a legislative basis for existing arrangements. In line with the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, the Bill will also provide for the disclosure of 'soft' information for the purpose of child protection.

Following Government approval of the Heads of the Bill it will be furnished to the Attorney Generals Office with a view also to its publication in final form and enactment in the next Dail session.

As part of the Government's new approach to legislation, the Joint Oireachtas Justice Committee will have the opportunity to consider its content and to propose in September any constructive amendments or additions and to contribute to the Bill's developmental process.

I am determined to ensure that both Church and State do what is necessary to protect our children from those who sexually prey on them or physically abuse them. I am determined that those who work with children and those who recruit others to do so, in either the public or private sector, in commercial or voluntary organisations, behave with awareness and responsibility and in the best interests of children.

I am determined to ensure that those who know a child has been assaulted or abused be required to report such offence to the Gardai and that there be consequences of their failing to do so. I am determined that children not be put in the way of harm to be preyed on by those already known to have harmed a child.

We cannot correct past wrongs perpetrated on our children but we can take action to prevent, insofar as is possible, the wrongs of the past being perpetrated on our children in the future. Let us all, on all sides in this House, join together in clearly stating that, in addressing and bringing to justice those who perpetrate child sexual abuse, the era of "mental reservation" is over and the laws of this land will prevail and be applied.