THE Minister for Children Barry Andrews has said one of the first priorities of the Government in the wake of the damning Ryan report will be to examine a memorial for the victims of abuse.The issue of a commemoration that would publicly acknowledge victims’ experiences will be one of the top concerns at the special cabinet meeting on the report this evening, Barry Andrews indicated.
Ministers will also discuss concerns that religious orders should contribute more than the agreed €128 million to the compensation deal.
But amid the fallout from the Child Abuse Commission report, Mr Andrews said a pressing matter would be the commission’s recommendation for some type of public commemoration.
"The first recommendation is the recommendation to have a memorial and we’ll certainly look at that primarily. I haven’t any ideas about that, but obviously that will be the first thing we’ll look at," Mr Andrews said in Dublin.
One Government source last night said it had not been decided what form the memorial would be, or the amount of funding that would go towards it.
The Ryan report recommends that a memorial be erected and inscribed with the words of a statement made by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 1999, apologising to the victims.
A number of ministers are particularly keen to learn what advice the attorney general has, if any, about the possibility of changing the controversial compensation scheme agreed in 2002 with religious orders.
Mr Andrews said the issue of increased funding for counselling for victims of abuse would also be examined at the special cabinet meeting tonight. This follows a dramatic rise in calls to victim helplines and support groups.
"I’m sure there has been an upsurge and that certainly will be one of the issues that will be looked at by the Government," he said.
Victim support group One in Four said yesterday it would welcome any move for a memorial for survivors of institutional abuse.
Victims had contacted the group, said director Maeve Lewis, seeking a "prominent national monument" in a "very public place" such as O’Connell street, Dublin.
"It might be some consolation for the survivors," added Ms Lewis.
One in Four, though, stressed that a bigger priority for the Government needed to be increased commitments to the child protection messages, as well as support and counselling for victims seeking help.
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