John Cummins: State Apology to Survivors of Abuse
John Cummins addresses the House to acknowledge survivors and their families and to welcome the State apology following the South East Commission of Investigation. He describes the abuse, the institutional failings identified by the Commission, and the need for recognition and learning.
John Cummins opens by placing the day in the hands of survivors and their families, praising their courage in coming forward and seeking justice. He says the apology is warranted and long overdue, and that while it cannot erase the past it can recognise the wrongs done.
He summarises the South East Commission of Investigation's findings as deeply disturbing, noting countless instances of horrific abuse and multiple examples of institutional failure. Cummins stresses that opportunities to intervene were repeatedly missed and that systems meant to protect victims failed in their most fundamental duties.
Drawing on his time as Mayor of Waterford he thanks men who spoke with him privately and explains how those conversations led him to support the establishment of the Commission with former Justice Ministers Francis Fitzgerald and Charlie Flanagan. He highlights the difficulty of reconciling the scale of the harm with the community he knows.
Cummins closes by urging the House to remember these failures and to learn from them, emphasising shared responsibility among public institutions. He expresses hope that the State apology offers some measure of acknowledgement and, in time, a degree of closure for survivors.
Acknowledgement and apology
John Cummins opens by placing the day in the hands of survivors and their families, praising their courage in coming forward and seeking justice. He says the apology is warranted and long overdue, and that while it cannot erase the past it can recognise the wrongs done.
Commission findings and institutional failure
He summarises the South East Commission of Investigation's findings as deeply disturbing, noting countless instances of horrific abuse and multiple examples of institutional failure. Cummins stresses that opportunities to intervene were repeatedly missed and that systems meant to protect victims failed in their most fundamental duties.
Personal connection and action
Drawing on his time as Mayor of Waterford he thanks men who spoke with him privately and explains how those conversations led him to support the establishment of the Commission with former Justice Ministers Francis Fitzgerald and Charlie Flanagan. He highlights the difficulty of reconciling the scale of the harm with the community he knows.
Responsibility and learning
Cummins closes by urging the House to remember these failures and to learn from them, emphasising shared responsibility among public institutions. He expresses hope that the State apology offers some measure of acknowledgement and, in time, a degree of closure for survivors.
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Transcript
At the outset I want to acknowledge the survivors and their families who are with us today in both galleries and those who may be watching from home. This day belongs to you. Your courage in coming forward, your determination to pursue the truth and your perseverance in seeking justice deserves our deepest respect and admiration. For many years you fought for what should never have been so difficult to obtain. You fought to be heard, you fought to be believed and you fought for accountability. Above all, you fought for justice. That burden should never have rested on your shoulders. The authorities responsible for protecting you should have acted long before you were forced to carry that responsibility yourselves. What you suffered was abhorrent. It was a profound betrayal of trust and a devastating violation of your childhood. It is impossible to fully comprehend the pain and trauma that you have endured or the lifelong impact it has had on you and your families. While none of us can truly understand your experiences, we can acknowledge the enormity of what you have lived through and the extraordinary resilience you have shown in the aftermath. Last Ciann Comhairle, the findings of the South East Commission of Investigation make for deeply disturbing reading. They remind us that not only were there countless instances of horrific forms of abuse, but there was also multiple examples of profound institutional failure. Time and again, opportunities to intervene were missed. Time and again, systems that existed to protect these men failed in that most fundamental responsibility. The Commission found that there were clear failings in the manner in which allegations were handled, failings that fell below the standards expected, even of the time. That is a sobering conclusion. These failures cannot simply be explained away as a product of a bygone era. They represented serious shortcomings that allowed abuse to continue and denied the survivors the protection to which they were entitled. It is difficult to comprehend how something so horrific could occur within the Watford community that I know and love, and that it could continue for so long without Bill Keneally being brought to justice. It is equally difficult to accept that he was able to evade accountability for so many years while more young men suffered. The survivors were failed by those who should have stood beside them. Institutions that should have listened did not. Authorities that should have acted failed to do so. The hurt caused by the abuse itself was compounded by the failures that followed, and that is why today's apology is both warranted and long overdue. While no apology can undo the harm that was inflicted or restore what was taken from you, I hope it affirms what you have known all along, that you were wronged, that your voices matter, that the failures identified by the Commission are now recognized by the state. To every survivor, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your resilience, and thank you for refusing to allow the truth to remain hidden despite the immense personal cost. I want to particularly thank those men who sat in the living room of my house and shared their horrendous experiences with me back when I was Mayor of Watford. Those private conversations made me absolutely determined to support your request for the establishment of this Commission with former Justice Ministers Francis Fitzgerald and Charlie Flanagan. It is my genuine and sincere hope that today's State apology provides some measure of acknowledgement and, in time, some degree of closure. It cannot erase the past, but it can recognize the profound wrong that was done to you and the failures that allowed it to happen. We owe it to you not only to remember these failures, but to learn from them, and ultimately that's a responsibility that each of us in this House shares. Thank you.