Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: State Apology, Children First
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor added her voice to the formal State Apology in the Dáil today following the publication of the South East Commission of Investigation. She outlined the Commission's findings on Bill Keneally and urged immediate reforms to child safeguarding and survivor supports.
The Minister of State acknowledged the Commission report that exposed the crimes of Bill Keneally and the repeated failures of individuals and institutions to act when children should have been protected. She paid tribute to the courage, dignity and perseverance of survivors who pursued truth and accountability over many years.
Speaking as TD for Carlow and Minister of State with responsibility for public health, wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, she stressed that childhood harm has lifelong effects on physical and mental health, relationships, education and wellbeing. She warned that the failures to investigate and respond appropriately had devastating consequences for victims, families and communities.
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor called for strengthened child protection structures, prompt action when concerns are raised, and accountability where failures occur. She emphasised that survivors must have access to the supports and services they need and framed the apology as a pledge to listen, learn and act so that safeguarding is never again compromised.
Commission findings and apology
The Minister of State acknowledged the Commission report that exposed the crimes of Bill Keneally and the repeated failures of individuals and institutions to act when children should have been protected. She paid tribute to the courage, dignity and perseverance of survivors who pursued truth and accountability over many years.
Human impact and long-term consequences
Speaking as TD for Carlow and Minister of State with responsibility for public health, wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, she stressed that childhood harm has lifelong effects on physical and mental health, relationships, education and wellbeing. She warned that the failures to investigate and respond appropriately had devastating consequences for victims, families and communities.
Commitment to reform and survivor support
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor called for strengthened child protection structures, prompt action when concerns are raised, and accountability where failures occur. She emphasised that survivors must have access to the supports and services they need and framed the apology as a pledge to listen, learn and act so that safeguarding is never again compromised.
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Transcript
Last, Ciann Comhairle, today is a profoundly important and solemn day and I want to add my voice to the full and formal State Apology and to acknowledge the courage, the dignity and the perseverance of those survivors who fought for truth and accountability for so many years. The publication of the South East Commission of Investigation reported last month lays bare not only on the horrific crimes committed by the paedophile Bill Keneally but also the failures of individuals and institutions to act when children should have been protected. As the Commission spelled out, there were opportunities to stop the most horrible abuse years earlier. The failures to investigate and respond appropriately had devastating consequences for victims and survivors. I know there's nothing any of us can say in this House today that can undo the pain and the harm and the loss experienced by those young boys and their families and the communities where they lived, they played, they played basketball and they worked. They have had to endure a lifetime of harm, many of them carrying their suffering in silence but they bravely persisted for justice and now the truth has been fully exposed. As a TD for Carlow and as Minister of State with responsibility for public health, wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, I am acutely aware that childhood harm can have lifelong impacts on physical health, mental health, relationships, education and wellbeing. We must never lose sight of the human consequences of these failures. So today I want to say to the victims and survivors that this is more than an apology. We are listening to you, we are learning, we are acting. All of us in this House has a responsibility to ensure that our child safeguarding systems are robust. We must ensure that if concerns are raised today that they are acted on without delay. We must continue to strengthen our child protection structures and ensure accountability wherever failure occurs. We must also ensure that survivors have access to supports and services that they need, acknowledging the state failure to adequately provide them to these boys and young men. May today serve as both an acknowledgement of the past and a renewed commitment that children will always come first, that safeguarding will never be compromised and that such failures will never be allowed to happen again.