Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
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“I thank the Deputy. I have a big, long note here, which I have no intention of reading out because I think this issue is at a really critical stage. I met Grace Lynch's parents, two incredible people who are really trying to make society safer after the loss of their daughter, Grace. On the e-scooter issue, from memory, I heard somebody say it was the number one reason that children were now ending up in ICU. It is quite an incredible thing to say: the number one reason children end up in ICU in Ireland is because of e-scooter accidents. I have heard a lot of comments in recent days. Do we ban them? Do we very quickly move to put in place a more robust regulatory system because there is not one in place today? I have an open mind. This is now at a tipping point where we need to move, and move quickly.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will work with the Deputy in relation to this complex individual case. More broadly, in the run-up to the budget on 6 October, the Government will work closely with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on the issue of the resourcing CAMHS. I will ask them to take a look at the point the Deputy made in relation to Offaly, and come back to her directly.”
“We are seeing more real complexity when it comes to our younger people and more and more of them with more than one clinical diagnosis. I am certainly no doctor or expert but from my engagement with many young people and parents this provides a real challenge, and it is one that needs to be met, in terms of how we meet the multiple needs across the multiple diagnoses. I do not know what happened in this situation, and I do not want to comment without knowing all of the details, although I take the Deputy at her word. However, it is clear that the system needs to know the difference between urgent and non-urgent referrals. According to the statistics, which were given to me, and I read out, urgent referrals are responded to within three days. However, what is classified as an urgent referral is an interesting question.”
“In other words, when CAMHS sees a young person, the file often remains open for a long period of time because of that ongoing need for care as well, and there are 96 children waiting for their first appointment with that team. Will Deputy Nolan link with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler? I will speak to her today about it, and I know that she will highlight this specific issue with the HSE. On the broader issue, we will continue to resource CAMHS. We will spend over €190 million on it this year, which is an increase of 40% since 2022, but I accept that there is a lot more to do in this area.”
“I do not think this case has been brought to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. It sounds as if it is particularly complex, and I do not say that in any way to pass the buck, but sometimes there can be clinical complexities. However, I ask the Deputy to link with the Minister of State, who is a compassionate and hard-working Minister of State as well. Specifically, in relation to the CAMHS team in Offaly, there is a clinical whole-time equivalent of 8.6 on the team. It is a little bit below the national average of 8.9, so let us see what can be done in relation to that. I am told, however, that 100% of urgent referrals in Offaly are responded to within three working days. The team does have the second-highest open caseload in the region. I am told that is evidence of the complexities of the challenges.”
“I take the point that this does not help with the case the Deputy referenced but we are investing a lot in CAMHS and our mental health services. As of February of this year, we have seen around 72% of new or re-referred cases seen within 12 weeks. That is an increase of 6% over the same period last year. I am not saying there is not a lot more to do, as there is, but the number of young people being seen in a more efficient manner by CAMHS is thankfully increasing. They reckon there are only around 2% of children and young people in the country who should require the support of CAMHS and 97% of urgent referrals are responded to within three days. That is an important point too. It may well not be the experience of what the Deputy said but that is the information I have available.”
“Go raibh maith agat, Teachta Nolan, for raising this important issue. I can see her genuine concern for the family that she is advocating for while also highlighting a broader issue. I also acknowledge her concern in relation to the response that family received from CAMHS. I want to address the broader issue but I suggest she provide that information to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and I know she will do so. I will ask that the Minister of State engages with the HSE specifically in relation to that situation. The Government is committed to this area. Nobody wants to hear of anyone experiencing the story the Deputy told in terms of a teenage girl with multiple diagnoses self-harming and in a difficult situation.”
“Our first job was to try to stabilise the situation, being frank. Some good changes have been made. I thank Minister of State, Deputy Canney, for his work in respect of the issue relating to drivers over 70 years of age. I hope that we can see if this can be expanded further, but it was an ageist provision. I take the point the Deputy made about the Dáil going into summer recess but obviously he will not be going away nor will we in the sense that we will all be working on these issues in our constituencies and keeping in close contact with them. Let us try to get through this September and then to build on the report that was published in terms of what the school transport needs to look like into the future, and I am happy to continue to work with Deputy on that.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget. The fact that we have more than doubled the amount spent on school transport between 2018 and now is a sign of real commitment. That said, I know the Deputy is a very practical and common-sense person in how he approaches these issues in looking for solutions, when you are spending such a large amount of money, there is an onus on you to consider whether the system is working well. I could not put my hand on my heart and fail to suggest that there are improvements that could and that need to be made. The Government is fully committed to making those improvements.”
“There is a broader need here. We have published the way forward in terms of a broader reform of the system. I take the point in that regard, but the priority for this school year has to be to get tickets out as quickly as possible. Bus Éireann has begun to issue tickets for the school transport service for the upcoming school year. That process will continue throughout the summer as routes are finalised. Where a family has a specific query about their child's eligibility status, they should contact the school transport section. I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, on foot of the Deputy raising this matter today, and ask that he continues to engage with the Deputy and, I am sure, other Members right across the House.”
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year. Under those terms, primary school children are eligible for the service if they live 3.2 km or more from their nearest national school and post-primary students are eligible if they live 4.8 km from their nearest school. The Department's priority is to provide transport for all those students who are eligible for the scheme. Children who are not eligible under those criteria but who have completed the application process on time sometimes get seats as they become available. That happens after eligible children have been assessed. That is my understanding of how this quite complicated system works.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs. I am very happy that is the case, but sometimes there is an additional complexity around staffing, the size of the buses, etc, in that regard. From a funding point of view, the scale of the scheme has more than doubled. There was a budget of about €200 million in 2018. We are now spending €537 million on it. There are 181,000 people transported to school daily, more than 8,600 vehicles are used and there are around 11,100 routes involved. I make that point to show that the scale of the operation is significant.”
“I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for his kind words in respect of Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, particularly in the context of her working on a Sunday evening and getting back to people. It is good to hear that there has been progress on that apprenticeship issue. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Let us be honest, the issue of school bus tickets and places is a perennial one. There have been lots of efforts by successive Governments, Oireachtais and Ministers to try to make progress on this. Some progress has been made, but, clearly, it is a system that is still in need of further reform and improvement and in the context of which a degree of common sense is sometimes needed.”
“It should examine the full extent to which relevant bodies receive complaints, information, warning signs, indications of risk, what actions they took, whether their actions were adequate and timely. He recommends that the publication of the Smith report be revisited only after full completion. We will now engage, as the Deputy suggests, and move forward.”
“I think what he is suggesting - I have not seen it before because it is novel - of six phases is a clever idea. Three of the phases should be independent document-based reviews, examining criminal complaints resulting in convictions, the response of the Medical Council and the circumstances in which Shine retired from the hospital. Phase 4 should be short and focused on current patient protection policies in Irish healthcare. Phase 5, really crucially, should be an independent truth and recovery process that should be victim-centered and non-adversarial and should run alongside that work. Phase 6 should amount to a comprehensive investigation into the actions and events surrounding the abuse committed by Shine, followed by a report setting out, so far as the evidence permits, what was known, by whom and at what stage.”
“I thank Deputy Nash and agree with everything he says. I thank Dignity4Patients as well for the very structured and really constructive and helpful way it went about its engagement as well. The Deputy is right that Shine being sent to a prison cell, where he belongs, is justice in one part but it is nowhere near enough. We saw this again the other day in relation to Waterford. There is a case of who knew what, when and how could this abuse have been stopped. It went from 1964 to 1990, which is an extraordinarily long period of time. I really think Lorcan Staines has done a very good job in trying to come up with what the Deputy correctly called a novel approach. Nobody wants a commission of investigation that goes on forever and ever. We want to try to get a structured way forward.”
“Clearly, there is a need to investigate this fully and we now have a model and a way forward, thanks to the work of Lorcan Staines and to the bravery and courage of the men, the neighbours and the friends of the Deputy's, for all they have done to get us to this point.”
“I acknowledge their bravery. The courage of the individuals who came forward to share their lived experience with the facilitator during that process cannot be easy. He detailed how allegations of abuse reported to him involved a broad range of ages, including reports of abuse when victims were children, teenagers or young adults. Allegations are reported as having occurred at the hospital, in Shine's private practice in Fair Street and in Shine's home, with the earliest allegation said to have occurred in 1964 and the latest in 1990. Victims were of the view that Shine's conduct throughout this, as the Deputy said, was a matter of public knowledge.”
“He was described by the Court of Appeal as a "prolific sexual offender". I remember when I was Taoiseach engaging on this with the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and others and we asked for options to be prepared as to how we could take an inquiry forward. I am really pleased the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, moved forward on this as well. I want to praise Lorcan Staines, the senior counsel, who conducted the scoping exercise. Quite frankly, in my experience in this House and in government, getting that chair right matters a hell of a lot. We appointed the right person and Lorcan Staines has been exemplary in how he has carried out this work. He met almost 75 victims and survivors as part of the process and he noted that they were middle-aged to elderly men from all walks of life in Drogheda and the surrounding areas.”
“The most powerful thing they said was that they feel "listened to" after decades of being ignored. Being ignored does not capture how despicably cruelly they were treated in terms of this. In fact, it is not that long ago I remember people making the point, not in this House, that there was no need at all for an inquiry in relation to this. I am really pleased we have gotten to this point. I join the Deputy in thanking my colleague, the Minister for Health, for publishing the report of the scoping exercise into former surgeon Michael Shine. I also thank her for the engagement she has had with the group. I have been a very strong believer that there was a need for some form of inquiry. Michael Shine is a convicted sexual abuser. He carried out vile, despicable acts against boys and young men.”
“Let me say "Yes" and "Yes" to two very clear questions. Let me acknowledge the Deputy's own advocacy, leadership and involvement in this issue for a long number of years and that of other Deputies from the area, including the Ministers, Deputies Byrne and McEntee, Deputy Butterly and many people across the political divide trying to desperately get a hearing for people who were being ignored, obstructed and, as Deputy Nash said, were having doors slammed in their faces. This is the second time this week in this House we have talked about the actions of vile, despicable paedophiles who were allowed to prey on innocent children and young men in this country. I read the scoping inquiry report and before I came in today, I read the comments of the victim's group, of the survivor's group.”
“I expect that process to conclude very shortly and I am absolutely crystal clear, as is all of the Government, there can be no cherry picking - and there will not be - when it comes to Ireland supporting Ukraine and taking action against Russia.”
“Absolutely, if there are any implications, and we should not prejudge this, we should work at European and national levels to make sure we can support workers and make sure the supply chain of alumina, a significant amount of which is being supplied to the European market from the mid-west, can continue as well. There is a complexity to all of this. This is not straightforward. We cannot just read a newspaper headline, and say, "That is grand. Slap a sanction on it". That is now how European Union membership works. We have been asked by the Commission - and the Ukrainian Government has welcomed what we are doing - to provide the most up-to-date information.”
“I am now bamboozled by the Deputy's position. I am trying to be constructive and engage but he wants to use political rhetoric. That is fine. On one hand, he is saying to go ahead and impose national sanctions on a company that he is accusing of funding the Russian war machine and fuelling in terms of Ukraine. On the other hand, he saying to sit down and have a chat with them. Let us take this step by step. The first step is to establish the facts and provide those facts to the European Commission. The second step is to see what the European Commission wishes to do because it is the European Commission that proposes sanctions. Ireland has never blocked. In fact, we enthusiastically support all sanctions proposals that come to the Commission and we currently trying to get the 21st sanctions package over the line.”
“I appreciate the Deputy raising that. Of course, should we arrive at a position - and I cannot prejudge this at all - where the European Commission makes a recommendation in relation to sanctions, we will want to and need to have conversations about two things. The first is about workers. The second is about crucial supply chains of alumina to the European Union, which is of importance too. As I have consistently said, governments need to be able to do more than one thing. We are very clear that one cannot cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions. We have to follow the facts and evidence. Ultimately, it is for the European Commission to make a recommendation.”
“It is important to await the conclusion of that investigation. It is analysing data. It has been in contact with the plant. It is trying to establish the veracity of information that is in the media about the supply chain for alumina from the company. It has received information from our Ukrainian counterparts, the Ukrainian Government and a number of member states that are involved. All of this will be examined. I expect that the investigation will be finalised very shortly. When the investigation is completed, we will discuss the results, and we will work in lockstep with the European Commission in providing any and all relevant information to it and our European colleagues, too. This work is ongoing. We take this extraordinarily seriously. It was a very fair question in relation to workers and jobs.”
“Discussions are now at a very advanced stage on the 21st package of sanctions aimed to deprive Russia of money, goods and technology used to wage its illegal aggression and restrictions on the shadow fleet, payment channels and individuals and entities supporting Russia are intended to close loopholes and tighten enforcement. As I said, we are leading those proposals during our Presidency. Regarding Aughinish Alumina, what we need to do here is follow the evidence. We need to follow the facts. I have been consistently clear and used the phrase that this country will never cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions. We support sanctions packages that come from the Commission. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is undertaking an investigation to establish the facts.”
“It is also important to be clear, as the Deputy knows, that sanctions are a matter decided on collectively an EU level. The Deputy referenced Australia. Australia obviously is not in the European Union. If the Deputy's position is that Ireland would now decide at a national level in relation to a sanctions regime, that would tear up every rulebook that we have followed in relation to how at a European level we have worked with solidarity regarding Ukraine. It has always been the situation that we worked at an EU level. That has had a positive effect. The EU has already adopted 20 packages of sanctions since the start of Russia's brutal illegal full-scale invasion.”
“I thank the Deputy very much. The most important thing - and we should never lose sight of this in any discussion in relation to Ukraine or Russia - is Ireland's absolute clear position in relation to this. Ireland absolutely, fully and resolutely supports Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. We had President Volodymyr Zelenskyy here on the first day of our Presidency of the Council of the European Union to highlight that level of support and solidarity. We deplore the actions of Russia. This is a country that has enthusiastically supported all sanction measures that have come from the European Commission. We are a country that wants to see more sanctions against Russia. We will work at a European level, and indeed, we will lead that work now as President of the Council of the European Union to pursue that agenda.”
“I wish to make one point because I am conscious that we are on the clock. The Deputy made another point around delays and bureaucracy. I have to make the point back that sometimes those delays are not on the side of the State. We need to have full root and branch review of how medicines are assessed in this country. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is entirely committed to that. Even in the House today, debating when the application came in or when the full business came in, there has to be a better way and more efficient way of assessing drugs applications more generally. We can return to that. On this-----”
“If the HSE drugs group feels it can benefit from the expertise of people in rare diseases - the people who treat the very patients the referenced - they bring in those experts and the patient voices in a short time of four weeks and they get the best available evidence in terms of the effectiveness of the drug. That is an appropriate thing to do. The Deputy referenced summer recess. I do not want anyone at home to think that there is any effect, with the Dáil not being in session. This is a HSE drugs group led by clinicians. I wish to make a broader point because we-----”
“It is always good to see the Deputy on a Thursday. I take the fact that she is here as a sign of her seriousness on this issue. I mean that genuinely. I thank her for that. I also take the seriousness of the issue. There is no disagreeing. We can use different words to describe this situation but there is no disagreement that it is a very worrying and stressful time for these families. That is a statement of fact. It is also a statement of fact that the process - and the Deputy knows it very well - is clear in law as how this goes. It is not a question of the Government stalling, or me, anybody over here or over there stalling. The process is very clear. The HSE drugs group looks at this.”
“We must hear from the clinical experts who specialise in this condition in Ireland about the effectiveness of this drug. We will continue to monitor the outcome of that very closely.”
“The 27 May 2026 is when the information came in versus 2024, but I accept the seriousness of this matter. Again, this is also just the truth: there are mixed views on the science in relation to this. A number of European countries have said "No". Some have said "Yes". We would not have a situation where the HSE drugs group was deciding to set up a rare diseases expert panel to look at this, to bring together the national experts and the patient advocates, to hear their voices and views, if they did not want to give this every possible chance. I take the point about timelines. That is why it is important that there is a four-week period now to hear those voices, to hear that lived experience and, crucially, to hear from the doctors. I am not one.”
“Referral to a rare disease committee is intended to ensure that every possible opportunity is given to a medicine to demonstrate its effectiveness for patients. I take the Deputy's point in relation to 2024. I would just make the point - this does not matter a huge amount to patients, but it is the truth - that the commercial proposal was actually received from the company in Ireland on 27 May 2026, so it is not a question of the Government or indeed our representatives through the HSE or clinicians have been in any way dilly-dallying on this. The application actually came in-----”
“It is a clinically led process. The HSE is currently assessing this medication. Deputy McDonald is right: there was consideration by the HSE's drugs group on 14 July and it made the decision to seek additional advice from the rare diseases technology review committee. Where I somewhat disagree with her emphasis is that I do not see that as passing a file from one committee to the other; I actually see it as an opportunity to bring together the experts. The purpose of this is to bring in national clinical experts in this condition, crucially with patient representatives, so as to have their voices as well, ensuring that their lived experience plus specialist expertise informs the assessment. There is a deadline given to this work of four weeks as well.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience. I know there are people across this House, including Deputy McDonald, who have engaged with patients and families on this drug. I fully understand that it is a worrying and anxious time for them. Today, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, met with Muscular Dystrophy Ireland. As the Deputy can imagine, this was an issue it quite rightly highlighted as well. I think there might have been officials from the Department there as well. I accept that this is frustrating for people at home, but I still need to say it: there is an ongoing process under way. That is a process guided by science.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta McDonald. I thank her for the question. First, I join with her in welcoming Cara Darmody back to Dáil Éireann. It is good to see her again. While she continues her campaign in relation to improvements around assessments of need and disability services in general, it is also worth noting that she has already changed Ireland for the better with the creation of the fund that has made a real difference in terms of more children getting assessments. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, who is here, along with the Minister, Deputy Foley, are committed to bringing forward legislation on the assessment of need process. We look forward to engaging with her on that soon. She is very welcome back. I look forward to seeing her soon.”
“Their courage has brought us to this moment. Their voices have ensured that the truth can no longer be ignored or hidden. For all that you suffered at the hands of your brutal abuser, for all the years he was not brought to justice and for all that was done to impede and delay that justice, we are truly sorry. Like the commission, we hope this apology can bring some peace of mind. Today, I join with others in saluting your courage and resilience.”
“We owe it to children to maintain our vigilance and these words must ring in our ears always. I know that for all the survivors of Kenneally, in all that they have endured in their long fight for justice, this would be among their greatest wishes. There is a powerful symbolism in the fact that those who were once vulnerable young boys in Waterford, failed by the State and its institutions, are here today to hear the State acknowledge its failures. Children who were abandoned by systems that should have protected them now stand with dignity and strength at the heart of our national Parliament. Your presence is a reminder not only of the wrongs that were done, but of the extraordinary resilience of those who endured them. Today, it is certainly not the institutions that command our respect; it is the survivors.”
“When a complaint was made by the father of a victim in 1987, the most serious of information was now in the possession of the Garda, but a decision was made that Kenneally would be given a warning and referred for psychiatric treatment or counselling. Many survivors feel this was a moment of further empowerment and led to a sense of invincibility. The commission report identifies a litany of deficiencies that arose from this approach, and this is the clear and serious dereliction of duty that occurred and cannot be explained away by the passage of time or the standards of the time. How much pain and suffering might have been avoided had justice been served when it should have been? The commission report observes that Irish society, from bitter experience, now knows that sexual exploitation of children can come from all sources.”
“While there may not have been outright collusion, this at the very least institutional blind eye, combined with those who shielded and covered up for paedophiles, allowed abuse to persist in the shadows. The report tells us that children were silenced by the shame of it, but also by their inability to articulate the horrible things that were happening to them. On occasions when it was articulated, people refused to listen. From an analysis of the complaints made to An Garda Síochána from 2012 on, Kenneally's targeting of young boys for abuse was intense during the period from 1978 to 1987. This involved activity that was observable. By late 1987, many people, including those in responsible positions, were aware that he had sexually abused children, but nothing appropriate was done in all of that time.”
“You have all been robbed of the innocence of a carefree adolescence for no better reason than to satisfy a paedophile predator's actions. I know through those victim impact statements, and some of your public comments, the support of loved ones through all the consequences of the abuse you suffered has been of enormous importance to you and were acts of great love. This is their day, too. The commission report illustrates that the Irish State, through its laws, services for children, sex education and awareness, and the operation and insight of its front-line services, such as An Garda Síochána and health boards, were historically blind to sexual abuse operating beneath the surface.”
“The harrowing victim impact statements republished in the commission report clearly communicate the pain and suffering of the abuse as it happened and its lasting effects throughout the later lives of the survivors. The words of Judge Eugene O'Kelly at the sentencing hearing in 2016 are striking. The abuse has had a profound and long-lasting effect on all of you. Some of you have suffered and some continue to suffer from alcohol dependency and other addictions. Many of you have disclosed depression and one has contemplated suicide. Family life and relationships have suffered, education and consequently advancement in life has been hampered.... All of you have been made to suffer from feelings of fear, shame and guilt, emotions that none of you should have had to endure.”
“It said: During the period of his activity any young boy who came under his influence was at risk. As reflected in the sentence of 18 years and eight months imposed, and upheld on appeal, these were serious offences which have had a lifelong impact on the victims and their families. His crimes were cruel and exploitative. He was intelligent and manipulative and an expert at grooming children by developing trust and affection but also using fear.... He used alcohol, money and gifts to assist in grooming and in the commission of the offences. Many of these boys had never consumed alcohol before being introduced to it by Bill Kenneally.”
“The truth emerged, not because systems worked as they should have, but because survivors refused to give up. Faced with disbelief, silence, intimidation and enormous personal trauma, they persisted. They carried a burden that never should have been theirs to carry and the apology today is simply a testament to their courage, resilience and determination. They forced institutions to confront uncomfortable truths and ensured that future generations would know what happened. This led to the report the Minister for justice published last month, which has shone a light on the clear and serious dereliction of duty that allowed the prolonged grooming and abuse of many boys, on many occasions, in many locations with unimaginable levels of depravity. The commission's words are stark.”
“The report tells us that the pattern of activity by Kenneally was becoming much more noticeable from 1985 on, yet he was not brought to justice prior to a formal complaint by Jason Clancy in November 2012, who was the first incredibly brave victim to come forward. I have heard Jason tell a story about a photograph of his under-11 soccer team. In this picture are 13 boys from all over Waterford who are only connected by playing soccer for Bohemians Football Club. Six of them were abused by Kenneally. That simple innocent photograph demonstrates just how prolific the activities of this abuser were, while multiple systems failed to protect children and bring him to justice. Even after Kenneally made admissions of his terrible crimes, he was not brought to justice. He was allowed to continue to abuse children.”
“The garda spoke to him at the counter and told him he needed to have a parent present, as he was too young. The garda did not speak to him in private, did not attempt to contact his parents, did not even offer to bring him home. Despite Kenneally being named as an abuser in a Garda station, no effort was made to investigate. The commission's report tells us that 11 of the 25 adult complainants were being abused in 1985. I recognise that includes survivors who are with us in Dáil Éireann today. This underlines the grave significance of this missed opportunity, which was, most regrettably, a repeated pattern.”
“In their young lives, they were the victims of monstrous evil and their vulnerability was increased by the impunity with which Kenneally perpetrated his atrocities. Too many warning signs were missed. Too many opportunities to intervene were lost. Too many people who should have been protected were instead left vulnerable. The systems of church, State and society that should have safeguarded children failed in their most basic and profound duty and the consequence of that failure was that abuse continued, victims suffered and justice was delayed for far too long. Regardless of any standards of the time, they were children who should have been protected, not abandoned to depravity and despair. In 1985, a 14-year-old boy walked all alone into Waterford Garda station and reported he had been abused by Kenneally.”
“I join the Taoiseach in the State apology to the survivors of the abuser Bill Kenneally. This moment has come about because of their bravery, their tenacity, their motivation to protect others from the horrors they endured, and their willingness to relive the trauma of the horrendous abuse inflicted upon them to ensure that justice was finally done. I acknowledge the work of Mr. Justice Michael White in bringing this arduous process to a conclusion and the way he went about his work. The commission report is a detailed and thorough assessment of the justified and serious public concern raised by the grievous crimes that were committed. Whether named or unnamed, the extraordinary testimony of witnesses to the commission of investigation was an act of great courage.”