Limerick Child-sex Abuse Victims Call on the Government to Change Laws to Recognise Their Ordeal

By Craig Farrell
Irish Sun
February 9, 2017

https://www.thesun.ie/news/557848/limerick-child-sex-abuse-victims-call-on-the-government-to-change-laws-to-recognised-their-ordeal/

VICTIMS of child-sex abuse at a Christian brothers school in Limerick are calling on the Government to change legislation so that their ordeal can be recognised.

The abuse took place during the 1960’s at Creagh Lane National School, Bridge Street, Limerick.

Four abuse victims are trying to get their ordeal recognised by the State

Four abuse victims, all in their mid 50s from Limerick City – Tom Hogan, John Boland, Dave Phayr and Tom Hogan – are fighting for the law to be changed so they can come under the remit of the redress scheme.

The redress scheme was set up following the European Court of Human Rights case of Louise O Keefe, where it was deemed that the State had failed to protect her from abuse she suffered in the 1970’s.

The Creagh Lane school was deemed ineligible for the redress scheme, as it was not a residential institution.

The issue has been raised in the Dail by Limerick TD Willie O’ Dea and AAA Deputy Paul Murphy, who want the victims to be able to avail of the ‘redress’ scheme.

Speaking to Joe Nash and Josh Prenderville on Live 95FM, Dave Phayr described how the government has tried to deny their efforts for redress.

Dave said: “They told us to stay away. When we tried to take a case against them they sent out letter in 2010 that they weren’t legally responsible for what happened us.

Anti Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy

“And from then on we’ve been trying to fight to say that ye are legally responsible for what happened us.”

Another victim, John Boland, stated that “the State has literally abandoned” the victim.

He said: “The State has literally abandoned us, the State in itself has abandoned us.

“It happened to us, no one denies the fact that the abuse happened. They are responsible for us. The State are just denying the fact of it.”

John continued: “In their claim there are two obstacles remaining. Number one, is the issue of the prior complaints. Now, they are claiming that a prior complaint had to be made for us to qualify under the Louise O’Keefe scheme. They also said we are statutory barred.”

Two of the victims are named Tom Hogan, one of which stated that the victims want the State to apologise for the failings of the past.

Fianna Fail TD Willie O’Dea

He said: “There should have been protection for children like us put in place at the time.

“We feel very much let down by the State, very much so.”

Fianna Fail TD Willie O’Dea also spoke on show, claiming that the redress fund was flawed and “nearly impossible to access” for those who were victims of institutional abuse, and that the State should change the legislation.

He said: “There is a cap of ˆ84,000, and when I talk about a cap that is the maximum anyone can get form the State. In some cases the settlement might be even less than that.

“So it wouldn’t be an inordinate cost to the State – and we are talking about people here whose lives have been destroyed, literally, and who want some measure of closure and more importantly some measure of recognition for the wrong that was done to them.

“I don’t think that in the context of people’s lives, and the affect that it had on people’s lives, that it is an awful lot to ask.”