A COMMISSION OF Investigation into allegations of historical child sexual abuse in every school across the country is set to be established.
Minister for Education Helen McEntee announced the move this afternoon, adding that work is already underway to establish a redress scheme for victims, which will be funded by schools where incidents of abuse were found to have happened.
Mr Justice Michael McGrath has been appointed to chair the commission by McEntee.
A survivor engagement programme will also be established, following a recommendation by a scoping inquiry last year.
That scoping inquiry gathered almost 2,400 allegations of sexual abuse of children in over 300 schools run by 42 religious orders. The report recommended that the scope of an inquiry be broadened to investigate all schools.
Speaking in Dublin this afternoon, McEntee said the independent commission will seek initial expressions of interest from people who wish to provide information to the investigation through a widely-advertised campaign.
A five-year deadline has been set for the commission by government, which will use “all potential levers that can be brought to bear to secure funding” from schools where incidents of abuse are found to have taken place.
In October last year, then-Taoiseach Simon Harris told The Journal the government may legislate so that organisations are required to pay into the redress scheme.
McEntee said today: “This is important to many survivors, that it is viewed as a measure of accountability for those responsible for sexual abuse in schools, and it is important to get this right.”
After two years, the Commission will report back to the minister with an update of its investigation. McEntee said the investigation will cost “tens of millions”.
No limit has been put on the level of redress currently, the minister said. McEntee said work must begin first to understand the exact and correct compensation is to be granted.
The scoping exercise was only tasked with looking into abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders.
Most of these allegations were reported from the records of some 42 religious orders who currently or previously ran schools in Ireland.
However, the report recommended that the terms of reference for any future inquiry be extended to cover all schools.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish a Commission of Investigation.