Victor Boyhan: On George Gibney, victims and justice

Thank you Comhairleach. Much has been said about the swimming coach George Gibney in the last 24 hours and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go into too much comment. Suffices to say and to share with you, I went to school in the school, New Park, where George Gibney operated from. So it's hard and I believed that I'd come here today 50 years on, 50 years on, having shared with women, boys and girls in that school who are the subject of many allegations against George Gibney. There are many questions to be asked about Gibney and how he stayed outside this state and evaded justice for so long and how it took so long for any bilateral negotiations or agreements in relation to his extradition from the US. I privately have discussed this with many senior people in various governments as long as I'm in politics and that's many a year. But what I can say here today is that swimmer coach George Gibney will be sentenced in the Criminal Court of Justice on the 29th of July 2026. I want to first acknowledge the very significant and the brave people that went forward. It's never an easy thing to do both privately and publicly and give agency and strength to make this day eventually happen, which was yesterday and it was a very emotional day for all those involved. I want to say just a few thank yous before I conclude because there will be another opportunity and another time and a more appropriate place and time for me to give voice to some of these issues. I want to single out the remarkable Justine McCarthy from the Irish Times. Her book Deep Deception, which many of you may have read and if you haven't I would suggest you do, and it was the relentless investigation that she conducted in her book to bring George Gibney, Derry O'Rourke, Gerard Doyle and other abusers to justice, playing a very significant part and a role for many to come forward and speak to Justine McCarthy. We are truly indebted. I want to thank Gary O'Toole, a friend of mine, a doctor of a successful person that was also subject to swimming and involvement on the periphery of many of these issues and I want to thank him, and I'll finish in two seconds, for giving the courage, giving voice and giving strength and support for the journey for so many people. To Johnny Waterson from the Irish Times, who many will know, who has been a constant champion for years when it wasn't easy to do and his own involvement in these issues. And finally to the Second Captains Production Company, in conjunction with the BBC 10-part podcast, where is George Gibney now? Well we know where he is now, but it's taken many, many years. These individuals and these programmes, including RTE, who I don't want to forget because they did remarkable work over all of these years, all acted as a catalyst for some and others to come forward and to share their story and assist to bring justice. As I said before and I conclude, there are many outstanding questions, there are many more issues to come into light, many that will now happen because of what this justice process, but we must allow this process to go forward and I say to everyone here and everyone in our Parliament, when individuals come here we all bring our unique life experiences to our work and so we stand up here, most of us, all of us I'm sure, bring our own experiences, that's what motivates us, that's what politicises us. And I finish on this, little did I think, and I went to that very school this morning as a journey before I journeyed in here, did I think from that gate to my own home and back and from that gate this morning to here, 50 years on, that I would be here to tell the story. So I'm glad I've been able to do that and I'm glad that I've had this opportunity as I have on every day that I'm in here to be an advocate because that is a key function of us, to be advocates and to be voices and encouragers and supporters of people who wish to tell their story and share their journey. Thank you for your time.