'Love won. The young boys of Waterford won. Your dad won'
(Read the full story HERE)
As part of the State apology, it was confirmed that long overdue redress will be provided to the victims of Bill Kenneally.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said during his address in Dáil Éireann that officials in the Department of Justice are considering a means of providing redress outside of the legal process and will engage with victims directly in relation to this process.
He said victims who spoke to the Commission of Investigation, including those who wish to remain anonymous, will be included.
Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, added: "Separately to the findings of the Report and acknowledging that there is nothing that can right the wrongs perpetrated by Bill Kenneally, I have instructed my officials to begin the process to secure compensation for those who have suffered as a result of the failures outlined in the Report."
Minister O'Callaghan said the exact details will be worked out with engagement from the victims themselves.
"On a very personal level, I do not want to see those of you that have been through so much put through any further lengthy legal processes. I would like to see a mediated solution that brings much-needed closure to all parties," he added.
Government must now be held to account, to ensure that this redress is provided.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: "Crucially, the government must now deliver on its promise to provide survivors with redress, with compensation.
"It is very wrong that no steps have been taken yet to fulfil that commitment.
"Urgent steps must now be taken to engage with survivors and to appoint a mediator without further delay. This process should now be expedited to ensure full justice and full redress."
Kenneally survivors Jason Clancy and Colin Power offered reaction to the Waterford News & Star after the apology.
Both men said the address they received was comprehensive and touched on all the subjects they hoped it would.
“We were a bit apprehensive going up because we didn’t know how things would unfold, but we were very happy with the apology, we were really happy with the day,” Jason said.
Colin added: "We’ve been living in our own bubble for so long and that became so normal to us, so to actually step outside that bubble and hear everyone talk about us in the Dáil, it was a surreal experience."
Jason said that words delivered by Deputy Mary Lou McDonald on the day were particularly emotional for him and his family.
Deputy McDonald, in her closing remarks, said to the survivors: “To the young people in each of your lives, your sons, your daughters and your grandchildren, let me say this: I hope that when you look at your dad's face you see a hero, a man who faced unspeakable trauma and still found it within himself to seek truth and justice and to overcome. That is the measure of your father.”
“Know this too, Bill Kenneally did not win. The horror of his abuse did not win. Love won. The young boys of Waterford won. Your dad won.”
The men were sat together in the galleries of the Dáil for the address.
Side by side, they grappled with the weight of hearing their story of abuse, pain and trauma be delivered to the country.
They say they couldn't have gotten through this process without each other.
“I told Simon Harris that day I wouldn’t have got through this on my own, I wouldn’t have got through it without the support from all the lads, their families, my family," Colin Power said.
“There were days throughout this whole process when I didn’t feel up to it, and there were always the other lads there who I could ring and talk to them. They would always be there.
“Without their support I couldn’t have done it.
“This was always about the bigger picture. We hope this state apology can bring some comfort and a sense of achievement for all victims, because we all went through the same abuse whether we waived our anonymity or not. Everybody was deserving of that apology.”
It has been a monumental couple of months for the Kenneally survivors.
The release of the commission’s report after years of waiting. The delivery of a full state apology from the Taoiseach in Dáil Éireann. And indeed the death of Bill Kenneally in prison.
The culmination of so much begs the question, what is next for the survivors?
Colin Power said he spoke last Tuesday to Tánaiste Simon Harris about reforming the handling of investigations, such as the one into Kenneally.
His suggestion is pertinent, as just this week it was recommended that a new Commission of Investigation to examine the crimes of prolific Drogheda paedophile Michael Shine be established immediately.
“I think things need to be done better in future,” Colin Power said.
“Commissions of Investigation need to be done quicker, and they need to be more victim friendly.
“It was mentioned in the Dáil on Tuesday that we should be offered all the counselling we need. That should have been offered to us 10 years ago when we started this process.
“I think there’s a lack of understanding of what victims go through in these scenarios, but we now have a platform to chase this up.”
Similarly, it is hoped by the victims that the recommendations of reform outlined by Judge White in his report will be enacted as soon as possible.
“Kenneally was already in jail when we started this process. What we wanted to do was hold to account the people who let him roam the streets of Waterford abusing children," Colin said.
“We would like to see the Law Reform Commission take up the Judge’s recommendations so that people like those who let Kenneally run riot in Waterford can be prosecuted in future.
“We’re never going to stop paedophiles, but we can make it more difficult for them if the people in authority who do nothing can be prosecuted. I think that would be a positive change."
Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, in his address to the victims on Tuesday said that he has written to the Attorney General to begin the process of reviewing the absence of a criminal offence of "misconduct in public office".
The Law Reform have confirmed that they are reviewing the matter.
They have been requested to revert to the Attorney General within nine months.
The state, Fianna Fáil, the gardaí, the South Eastern Health Board.
Representatives from all stood up last week and acknowledged the failings.
So where is the church?
Monsignor John Shine was Bill Kenneally’s uncle. He was a senior clergyman with a distinguished career in Waterford.
He was very visible in Waterford life, serving in the parish of Tramore and Carbally for decades.
Monsignor Shine knew in late 1987 and early 1988 that Bill Kenneally had sexually abused at least one child, and possibly another.
The Commission of Investigation’s report said that Monsignor Shine failed to bring the matter into the public domain at least to the extent of reporting the matter to the statutory agencies responsible for child protection.
The report also criticised false statements that Shine provided to gardaí in 2013.
He told gardaí that he never heard about any further allegations of assault against Bill Kenneally after 1987.
This was an untrue statement, as he had been informed in 2001 that the abuse had continued long after the psychiatric intervention in 1987.
Another figure of the church implicated heavily in the report is Brother Columba Gallagher, head brother of De La Salle College in the 1980s.
He was told firsthand by a student about abuse, and was handed evidence in the form of a polaroid picture.
As far as the commission can establish, Brother Columba kept this information to himself.
Survivor Colin Power said in light of last week’s apologies, the absence of any acknowledgement from the church remains “the elephant in the room”.
“Government deserve credit where it's due, their apologies were comprehensive and I think Micheál Martin naming the two Kenneally TDs was very important.
“Everybody took responsibility and accountability, but I have not seen anything from the church about Monsignor Shine’s role in this, and to be honest I don’t expect one.”
