Summary of Main Provisions of the Statutory Fund
Eligibility
Those eligible for assistance from the Fund will be those former residents who were offered awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) or who received awards pursuant to court actions and who would otherwise have received awards from the RIRB.
Functions/Provisions of the Statutory Fund
The principal function of the Statutory Fund will be to make arrangements for the provision of approved services to support the needs of former residents and to pay grants to former residents to assist them to avail of approved services.
Approved services will include such counselling services, psychological support services and mental health services, and such health and personal social services, educational services and housing services as the Fund may determine.
The Fund will also promote understanding of the effects of abuse on former residents among service providers and will evaluate the effectiveness of the approved services in meeting the needs of former residents.
The Fund can consult with former residents as it considers appropriate.
Funding for the Statutory Fund
The costs of the Fund will be met from the contributions from the religious congregations, which will be lodged to a special investment account managed by the National Treasury Management Agency. These contributions will be construed as fulfilling a charitable purpose. It is expected that the amount available to the Fund will be €110 million.
Administration of the Scheme
The Fund will be established as a corporate body. The Board of the Fund will comprise 7 members, including 2 former residents, and insofar as is practicable, the Minister will ensure an equitable gender balance. In appointing the other members of the Board, the Minister will ensure that members have knowledge and expertise in relation to financial management, administration, health and social personal services and counselling, psychology or mental health services.
The members will not be remunerated and will serve a four year term of office but will not be eligible to serve for more than 2 consecutive terms.
The chief executive officer of the Fund will manage and control the administration of the Fund and will be accountable to the Public Accounts Committee and other Oireachtas Committees. The accounts of the Fund will be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The Fund will appoint, with the consent of the Minister, such and so many persons to be members of the staff of the Fund as it may from time to time determine.
The Fund will seek to achieve the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of the resources available to it. It will be subject to the terms of the Freedom of Information and Ombudsman Acts.
Applications
Provision is included in the General Scheme to allow the Residential Institutions Redress Board advise the Statutory Fund of the name, address and date of birth of award recipients. Such a provision will allow the Fund to confirm applicants’ eligibility.
The Fund will determine the extent of, and conditions attaching to, the provision of approved services. It will determine the criteria it will use to make decisions and will publish these criteria. It will determine the application process and will be able to refuse applications not made in accordance with the approved process.
The Fund will liaise with public service providers in relation to the provision of services to former residents.
Education Finance Board
The Education Finance Board will be dissolved and its functions transferred to the Fund.
When can we submit claims for this fund? There seems to be a lot of talk about it but not a start Date.
Julie, i wish i could tell you that. Maybe the groups could shed some light on this subject. After all, they seem to know everything.
You may be assured they do know, but will keep this to themselves, as usual.
Counting the cost of abuse redress
By Conor Ryan, Investigative reporter
Monday, October 01, 2012
THE State’s exposure to the child abuse redress bill is growing but efforts to coax religious orders to accept half the costs have failed.
One by one, the 18 congregations have told the Government its desire to split the bill on a 50:50 basis was too much; they would not allow the redress process to bankrupt them.
Negotiations are ongoing on an alternative plan, to sign over school sites, but there has been no resolution and the process has staggered.
The immediate effect is that the State will now have to find at least €1.1bn to fund its portion of a compensation and inquiry scheme that was expected to cost €240m when the indemnity deal was signed in 2002.
Departmental memos show that the overall redress bill is expected to reach €1.47bn — this rose €100m in the last year. It is not known if it will be the final figure.
The Government has resolved, in an explicit resolution, to ensure the 18 orders under the indemnity deal cover half of the amount.
The resolution, voted on in Jun 2011, rejected some of the gestures tabled by orders and asked for school sites to be made available.
Following the publication of the Ryan Report in 2009 the orders, according to their own valuations, committed to give €476m in money and property to the State. This included the assets that were slowly transferred under the 2002 deal.
Crucially, €235m of this increased offer was made up of land and buildings, mostly schools and health facilities. When the department assessed them, they were found to be worth €60m.
This has left a €434m gap between the value of what has been offered (€301m) and what the department wants (€735m).
There is an associated package under discussion with the Christian Brothers to put its playing pitches, worth €127m, into a joint entity of the State and its trust.
In 2010, the orders were written to asking for more but the responses back, according to departmental memos, have used various forms of language to arrive at the word “no”.
Since assuming responsibility for the education portfolio in Mar 2011, Ruairi Quinn has met with the orders on numerous occasions.
So far, only the Presentation Brothers has made a tangible promise to add €1m to the sum it offered and separately an additional site — a former primary school — was added to the property schedule.
The papers relating to Mr Quinn’s, and his department’s, engagement were released under the Freedom of Information Act.
They reveal that, at different times, there were polite requests to “explore with the congregations” the possibility of transferring school sites. At other stages, there were efforts to entice them by confirming they will be publicly recognised for their support. More recently, Mr Quinn expressed his frustration at the progress.
At all times, he has noted, and the orders have reminded him, that they are under no legal obligation to up their commitments because they are insulated by the €128m cap built into the 2002 indemnity deal. But even under this deal, the intended contribution has yet to be realised.
So far, €105m worth of assets have been received of the €128m that was promised 10 years ago.
The sites are clearly identifiable but, as with many religious properties, it has proved extraordinarily difficult to secure legal title and finalise a transfer.
The problem is so great the department has been reluctant to accept properties where the orders could sell the sites themselves.
It particular, the Government refused an offer by the Sisters of Mercy to donate properties directly to the Statutory Fund. The order was told to sell the land and sign the cash back to the fund.
The lack of cash for the fund is another problem that emerged before its establishment by the Dáil before the summer recess.
In 2009, the orders offered an extra €91m in cash to the Statutory Fund. At least €24m is still dependant on the congregations selling property, which is estimated to take at least 10 years.
The Sisters of Charity, which has ambitions to commercially develop a number of strategic sites in Dublin City, told Mr Quinn it cannot meet the additional promise made in 2009. It said €3m outstanding will not be paid but it has offered to waive its claim to legal expenses.
The stalemate between the religious bodies and the State has undermined the potential of the Fund for victims.
The strategy in the Programme for Government, to secure the transfer of school sites in lieu of money, has been met with a cold response.
The correspondence and briefing notes to Mr Quinn show that the majority of the orders have declared themselves either unable or unwilling to give any more. Some, in particular the Rosminians, claim they are in financial distress irrespective of any additional bills for redress.
The Christian Brothers said while it has financial assets of about €50m, it will not be able to release €20m of its extra commitment for up to 15 years because of the downturn in the property market. Three sites it put on the market last year could not find a buyer.
The Christian Brothers said it would bankrupt the order to act quicker and it was expecting bills to come from legal cases relating to its management of day schools.
The Sisters of Mercy said it would engage with the department on the possible transfer of schools but it did not want this to have anything to do with the redress process.
It said that to accept the 50:50 approach would effectively tarnish all its members as having been guilty of abuse. This same point was raised by the Sisters of Charity.
In the 12 years since the indemnity deal, the orders sold at least €468m worth of property. They retained assets worth over €3bn.
But three years since the publication of the Ryan Report, the State is still holding out the collection plate, hoping to limit its exposure to the swelling cost of redress.
ORDER’S RESPONSES
Orders’ responses
The responses of a selection of religious orders to the Government’s request for them to contribute 50% towards the cost of redress and the message they delivered to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn at meetings:
* The Presentation Brothers The only body to respond positively to the Government’s request, it put an additional €1m on the table to help fund the building of the new children’s hospital. It said it wanted to advance the process and was happy to cooperate with negotiations.
* The Dominicans
The order said it would not volunteer additional resources but it would cover 50% of its legal costs arising from the redress process. It was one of six orders to deliver its additional cash offer in full.
* The Oblates
Having made a substantial cash offer following the publication of the Ryan Report, it said it was not in a position to do more. But it said it would waive its claim to legal bills and said its overall contribution was fair and reasonable. It also queried whether redress could be expanded to cover all former students.
* Sisters of St Clare
The order said while it was shocked at the Ryan Report findings, the 18 congregations under the indemnity deal only managed about 100 of the 139 institutions investigated and other management bodies should contribute. It said its members were taxpayers and paid PAYE and Vat on building projects. It delivered its additional cash offer in full and said it could give a school site in Ballyjamesduff, worth €275,000, to the VEC, but a 50:50 split was a bridge too far.
* De la Salle
It said it had a mission to carry out and if it was prevented from doing so, it would have no reason to exist. It has offered €1m but this is subject to the terms of the statutory fund being acceptable to the order and trust law.
* Brothers of Charity
The order said it was trying to deliver services to people despite cutbacks in the health budget but those services were suffering.
* Presentation Sisters
It asked why the Government wanted orders to sign over school sites if they could not be sold for cash. They said its property was key to its mission and suggested Mr Quinn was trying to take ownership of schools from congregations. It was worried the Government was implying if the orders did not increase their offers, the education budget would be cut.
* Sisters of Nazareth
It said it was happy to meet with Mr Quinn and offered €2m in a rent waiver to the HSE for the use of its nursing home in Sligo. The offer was refused.
* Daughters of Charity
It looked for the issue of proportionality between the various orders to be addressed, but said its assets were being used to serve clients with intellectual disabilities and it could not offer more. In lieu of cash, it said it would give land beside Phoenix Park to the OPW. This was declined by the Cabinet.
* Good Shepherd Sisters
The order said it had given a full report on its assets and had no more funds with which to offer.
* Hospitaller Order of St John of God
The order paid the money it committed in 2010. It told Mr Quinn it was not mentioned specifically in the Ryan Report and all of its assets were used to support services it offered. It said any attempt to find a 50:50 split “required creativity”.
Sisters of charity
Offer from 2009: It offered to give €5m but recently told the Government it cannot afford to sign over the last €3m.
Position on meeting the 50:50 target: It cannot meet its commitment.
Explanation:
When it met Education Minister Ruairi Quinn in Jul 2011 it expressed concern congregations were being portrayed as being 100% responsible for the abuse.
It had offered to give an extra €5m towards the Statutory Fund but was concerned that the costs of redress appeared to be rising. Since then, the order has won a High Court challenge to the Dublin City Development plan that would have killed off plans to redevelop some strategic sites at Sandymount, Walkinstown and Harold’s Cross.
It wrote to the Department in June and said the €5m it offered initially was beyond its means and would be reduced to €2m.
It was the first order to reduce its offer and blamed the decision on the property market collapse. “The Sisters paid €1m to the Government in 2010, expecting the trust fund to be set up immediately. They have the second payment of €1m ready to pay since 2011 but they cannot release it until the Government puts the trust fund… in place.
“Since the value of their properties has depreciated hugely and the ability to sell property is still severely affected by market conditions — so the nature of their offer has changed,” said a statement in June.
Christian Brothers
* Offer from 2009: €30m plus the transfer of €127m worth of playing pitches to a joint trust.
* Position on meeting the 50:50 target: It has told the department it will not be able to increase its offer.
* Explanation:
The Christian Brothers rejected Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s request to give more sooner. It claimed if it acted as he desired the order would be bankrupt.
Instead it said the property market had handicapped its effort to sweat its assets and find the money it needed to contribute to the Statutory Fund in the short term.
The order said it has already given substantially to the cost of redress and had to keep money aside because it predicts significant claims to arise from its role in the management of day schools. These were not covered under redress.
The first installment of its cash offer, worth €10m, is to be paid in a staggered fashion over the first five years of the Statutory Fund.
The order had offered an additional €20m in cash. But it has informed the department this will not be handed over quickly as it depends on property sales.
Three sites it put on the market in 2011, which were expected to raise €3m, could not be sold.
A sum of €4m towards counselling services was included with its offer, but the department discounted this when it realised the money would be paid to Faoiseamh and not to the Statutory Fund.
The Christian Brothers had already transferred its schools infrastructure to a linked trust, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, prior to the publication of the Ryan Report.
It said these were worth €480m and this should be included in the calculation of its contribution.
The department indicated, in meetings with the order, that it believed it could do more and sign over money sooner. It said Christian Brothers had financial assets of €63m. The order said by the end of 2011 this had fallen to €50m.
“The minister noted that €50m was still a significant sum and suggested an early payment of a cash contribution. Br [Edmund] Garvey responded by stating that such an early payment could bankrupt the congregation,” the record of the meeting said.
Mr Quinn told the order he did not want to put it out of business, but asked for a gesture.
The order said the “congregation is now at the pin of its collar to meet even the current requirements of its charitable and other commitments”.
The Rosminians
* Offer from 2009: It was not able to make any offer due its financial circumstances.
* Position on meeting the 50:50 target: It cannot give any more.
* Explanation:
The order has told the department it is badly in debt after its attempt to commercially develop a Drumcondra site and build a school for the blind with the proceeds.
Before the publication of the Ryan Report, it submitted plans to build 359 houses on its campus in Drumcondra. But this has not progressed.
Instead, it told Department of Education officials at a meeting in February it had substantial debts.
It owed €5m relating to the redevelopment of the St Joseph’s complex in Drumcondra. It said the State should be liable for some of this because it was party to the preparations for the new school.
A property in Gracepark Gardens was sold for €630,000 and the proceeds are being used to pay down the interest.
Its provincial, Fr David Myers, said it had offered land which had been collateral for the loan back to the bank to cancel the debt but this was refused.
Preparing the planning application cost it €1.5m and €1.5m was spent building alternative accommodation for priests in anticipation of the redevelopment.
The Department asked it to consider signing over some playing fields beside its former residential home at Upton, Cork.
Sisters of Our Lady of charity
* Offer from 2009: €1.5m plus one creche
* Position on meeting the 50:50 target: It said it is unable to offer more.
* Explanation:
When the Ryan Report was published in 2009, the order offered an extra €1.5m towards the cost of redress. It also said it would sign over its childcare facility at Gracepark to the HSE.
However, when the Government set its 50:50 target and asked orders for more, the answer from the order was straightforward.
A quote from correspondence said “it was unable to make any further cash contribution”.
According to its valuations, the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity had property assets worth €17.1m.
It enjoyed a significant windfall during the boom, when it sold land beside its former Magdalene Laundry in Drumcondra for €62m in two tranches.
But when it met Mr Quinn and department officials on Dec 16, 2011, the order said it was caring for 29 sisters and 38 former residents, and groups were ageing. Financial advisor John Kidney said it had shelved plans to sell more property because of the state of the market.
Mr Quinn said he appreciated the complexity of its position but wanted a beefed-up offer. In the minutes, regional leader Sr Sheila Murphy put it on record that “the congregation had no liability to additional contributions as there was no agreement in place regarding the matter”.
Sisters of Mercy
* Offer from 2009: €107m in property to the State and voluntary sector and €20m in cash to be paid in installments over five years.
* Position on meeting the 50:50 target: It was a flawed idea and unacceptable to the order.
* Explanation:
The Sisters of Mercy told Education Minister Ruairi Quinn if it accepted the principal that orders should cover half the cost of redress, it would effectively be declaring all of its members were guilty of abuse. It said the concept of a 50:50 share of the €1.47bn bill was flawed.
Congregation leader Sister Coirle McCarthy said the order had begun to deal with abuse victims in 1995 and co-operated fully with the 2002 deal. But the increase in the bill was the State’s problem.
The order said its contribution to the State, through the provision of service, could be worth as much as €1bn. “[Sr McCarthy] noted that he 2002 indemnity agreement was to a voluntary contribution to the State and that the congregation had met its obligations under that agreement. The congregation did not believe it owed 50%: if that position was to be agreed to it would amount to saying that all of the congregations members were guilty of abuse,” the records said.
The order also said its additional offer from 2009 was “just, generous, and adequate”.
Problems have surfaced regarding the properties it offered to the State. The Cabinet voted to reject its proposal to donate 16 properties directly to the statutory fund as it would only accept cash.
The order said it would sell two sites but there has been no resolution to the remaining 14. The order also wanted 16 plots it committed to the voluntary sector to count towards its contribution. But the Cabinet said no. Only one €200,000 building, available for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Tulla, Co Clare, was considered reckonable after it got the support of the Department of the Arts.
The order met with Mr Quinn separately at its own request. He paid particular attention to the decision of the Government to ask all the orders to shelve plans to transfer education infrastructure into dedicated trusts. However, the order said many of its schools were being transferred to local patrons and its second level sites were placed in the Ceist/Educena trust.
While it was willing to discuss the schools issue, it wanted this done separately to redress negotiations.
Daughters of the heart of Mary
* Offer from 2009: €1.5m in cash.
* Position on meeting the 50:50 target: It would not enhance its offer.
* Explanation:
The congregation met with the Department in Dec 2011 and stood firm.
It said it would not give any more towards the cost of redress.
The order told Education Minister Ruairi Quinn it had “serious reservations” about the principal of a 50:50 burden sharebetween the State and religious orders. It said it paid its legal costs during the redress process.
The order said it wasnot referred to specifically in the Ryan Report and the amount it contributed was more than it would have expected to pay out in court awards if the indemnity deal had not been agreed.
It told officials its members had made a significant contribution to the care of children and this was not paid for.
Its delegation said it was not under any obligation to provide funding towards the new national children’s hospital.
Mr Quinn asked the order to reassess its position and warned it that failure to do so may attract negative publicity.
“[The minister said] any cash contribution or any property transfer by the congregation would be publicly acknowledged.
“By the same token the refusal of the congregation to enhance its contribution would have to be noted in a report to Government,” the minutes said.
Row demeaning to those who suffered abuse in institutions
Who does Michael Walsh think he’s talking for?
This person and his group, ROP/SC initially voted for this Statutory Fund, when over 90per cent of Survivors were totally against it.
It is none of your business Mr Walsh. You were never worried about Survivors before, so why should you be any other way now. Your funding is all you are worried about, and we ALL know this.
Please read following article, todays Examiner.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Let me begin by congratulating Conor Ryan for his excellent piece (Oct 1) on highlighting the difficulties between the Government and the religious orders over the payment of a 50/50 share of redress to people abused in industrial institutions.
However, there are some very important points to be made, and these highlight some misconceptions around this unseemly row.
* There is no further monetary redress for people who were abused in institutional care.
* This row is about the Government and the religious orders sharing the cost of redress, which has already been paid out!
* A very small part of this row concerns the additional Statutory Institutions Fund (€110m).
It frustrates me a great deal at the rumbling on of this row, because it is demeaning to those of us who were so horrendously abused in these institutions.
In our frontline work on behalf of over five and a half thousand people who made contact with our offices last year, and who now live in considerable difficulty, (as adults,) the reality of that abuse, and its consequences on families, is lost in this continuing row over who should pay what.
The people who seek our help are sidelined, and left to suffer in abject poverty, social isolation, and are marginalised by all of the States agencies dealing in housing, health, welfare and statutory care.
We say to the religious orders — for God’s sake, pay up.
And, to Minister Quinn, we say — stop trying to shift the problem of years of State and religious abuse to one of good guy/bad guy.
Engage in a meaningful dialogue at managing and finding solutions to the many difficulties now being experienced by those of us whose lives as children, and now as adults, have been blighted by the acts of abuse.
Michael Walsh
Chairman Right of Place Second Chance
Lower Glanmire Road
Cork
This statutary fund is very unclear as to who exactly benefits from it. Michael says that thay care for people who have been sidelined by all government dept. okey fine but if thay come from the institutions thier names and data are stored somewhere.As for confidentiality well if thay put survivers in contact with services thay give the name and data so its one sided ever since i bought a computer i have been reading that the funding is used exactly as thay want with apparantly no control as to who benefits.if thay dont regonise someone in the street then its not supportive at all.if thay give someone the time of the day thats help to them .
WELL DONE MOSSIE
WHAT A CHEEK THAT GROUP HAVE TRYING TO LOOK AS IF THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT SURVIVERS AND THERE NEEDS.
ALL THEY WANT IS MORE MONEY AND KEEP THEMSELVES ON THE GRAVY TRAIN,I WOULD LOVE IF THE MONEY WAS STOPPED ONCE AND FOR ALL AND THIS SHOWER OF BLOODSUCKERS SHOULD BE DISBANDED AND MADE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY EURO THEY SWINDLED SURVIVORS OUT OF.
MAY JUSTICE PREVAIL
BILLY COLLINS.
Once again, we are being Misrepresented.
The Chairman of Right of Place Second Chance, Michael Walsh Senior, wrote a letter to the Examiner on Monday the 8th of October.
As the Chairman of a group, who’s headquarters is based in Cork, it is obvious that this person is NOT speaking for his (So Called) members.
Hi trivialise’s the row between government, and the Religious Orders over what should have been our Redress Money, from the Religious Orders.
The Statutory Trust Fund (he cant even get this right) of €110million may be a small part in HIS eyes, but it will come to the aid of Survivors Substantially.
His comment of their being no further Monetary Redress for people who were abused in Institutional Care shows a distintive lack of compassion, and care unbefitting a Chairman of a board. Has he forgotten about the poor Ladies of the Magdeline Laundries, and the Survivors who still await Proper Redress.
The frustration he quotes in his letter, might be due to the cut in funding for his group? Obviously there will be NO increase in wages linked to inflation for Junior this year.
The misleading impression that frontline work is being done on behalf of a large number of Survivors is both dishonest, and untrue, and is the main reason why ALL groups should be shut down.
The only thing that is lost in this letter to the Examiner is Honesty and Integrity.
Survivors will continue to suffer all the time we are being misrepresented.
His cries to the Religious Orders to pay up, is twelve years too late.
His concept of good guy/bad guy is nothing more than trying to shift blame away from his own misrepresentation.
Meaningful Dialogue from Mr Walsh, in finding solutions to Survivor problems only extends into the domain of keeping his Son gainfully employed in the Private Company, Right of Place Second Chance.
Past Pupils Reunion.
Sir, – Senator Martin McAleese says of the Christian Brothers Past Pupils reunion that “it would not happen without the abused” (Home News, October 9th). This may be so. Those of us who spent all of our earlier lives with the Christian Brothers do not see this gathering in the same way as Senator McAleese and others mentioned in the article.
The Christian Brothers have still not accepted their part in the very serious abuses and failures perpetrated on weak and very vulnerable children, many who were orphans and so suffered mostly in these industrial schools.
They commissioned reports into these schools without engaging those of us who were there. They have whitewashed us out of their histories and turned their faces to the “new worlds” of Eastern Europe, India and elsewhere.
The continuing abuses of former pupils in the Residential Institutions Redress Board and the courts is disgraceful and, encouraged by the structures that allow secrecy and pseudonyms to be used, silences, deflects and hides the truth and the meaning of the truth from full exposure.
We wish Senator McAleese and others every success at their gathering.
Sadly, the majority of us who went through the industrial schools still suffer its effects. We are all getting old now, many living in England in L-shaped rooms for over 40 years while some in Canada and the US are suffering ill health and are unable to pay for medical insurance.
We see no reason to celebrate until the Christian Brothers meet and engage fully with those of us in support of these sad but proud individuals. – Yours, etc,
TOM HAYES,
Castle Gardens,
Richhill,
Co Armagh.
The new statutory fund is still in the process of being set up – there was an advertisement on publicjobs.ie for anyone who may be interested in applying as a board member – the cut-off date was 5th Oct. The temporary board set up in the meantime is still in place – so it depends on how long it takes for the new board and other issues to be sorted before the new fund is available.
Abuse victims accuse Christian Brothers event of trying to muzzle them
back home
By Claire O’Sullivan
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Survivors of abuse at Christian Brother schools have accused organisers of a Christian Brothers commemoration event this weekend of attempting to muzzle them by not allowing them to speak.
Former President Mary McAleese and Sen Martin McAleese are set to join past pupils of Christian Brothers schools at an event at Dublin’s Convention Centre today to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers and Presentation Brothers.
Survivors of child abuse at Christian Brother schools were invited.
Tonight’s event is part of a year-long initiative to raise funds for international work being carried out in the spirit of Edmund Rice.
Keynote speakers on the night will be Mrs McAleese, president of St Patrick’s College and John Hope prize-winning academic Dr Dáire Keogh, and social affairs activist and author Fr Peter McVerry.
Despite requests, Christopher Heaphy, the chairman of Voices of The Existing Survivors, will not be permitted to speak at the event.
“Unless Irish society is prepared to listen to us there never will be closure,” said Mr Heaphy.
“We can be preached to from the pulpits and talked down to by the ‘great and good’ but we need to be invited to speak for ourselves.”
“After over 50 years of silence we are quite capable of speaking about our own personal experiences. A ‘wall of silence’ built by Church and religious to hide behind, will founder. Maybe then God’s light and love will find a place in their hearts and we will be listened to.
“Our only sin was pov-erty, needing alleviation not exploitation. But exploitation is what we got in the schools delivered under a tsunami of brutality designed to dehumanise and traumatise, and which shell-shocked us into a condition where many were incapable of developing into loving, talented, and caring people we were meant to be”.
Mr Heaphy and his two brothers were kept at Greenmount Industrial School in Cork, which was run by the Presentation Brothers.
Eight chapters of the Ryan Report are devoted to the Christian Brothers as it was the largest provider of residential care for boys in the State. The order was found guilty of “excessive and pervasive” physical punishment of boys and at Artane in Dublin, there was a “chronic” problem of sexual abuse.
Subject: Fwd: Christian Brothers celebratory event 20 OCT 2012
COPY to Newstalk Radio in Dublin
P R E S S R E L E A S E
From: Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (Irish-SOCA)
For: Release on Friday 19th October at 3 pm.
Re: Christian Brothers Celebratory event in Dublin 20 OCT 2012
The victims of Christian Brother childhood abuse are appalled at the grotesque celebratory event designed to rehabilitate that organisation on Saturday 20th October 2012.
Whilst there are many in this society who did benefit from “the gift of education” through the Christian Brothers and are entitled to yahoo their excellent good fortune – that was not the case for tens of thousands of Irish children locked up from 1922 onwards in Industrial Schools. For these children there was a vigorous policy of educational denial which replicated the notorious apartheid era Bantu Education Act – in an Ireland that purported to “Cherish all the children of the Nation equally”
Because of this criminal policy, supported throughout by a cowardly political elite, the lives of those who suffered years of sexual and other abuses were made substantially more difficult than they might have been.
The friends and supporters of the Christian Brothers say, “ ah, but be reasonable, look at all the good work they are doing down in Africa, that must surely count for something” to which we say that 10 pounds of alleged do-Gooding in Africa doesn’t expunge 5 pounds of evil doings in Ireland – that is not the way of the World.
We are appalled at the behaviour of the management committee of the current Artane Band and its use of the young people in the Band at next Saturday’s event given that the Artane Band owes its historical existence to those who were economically exploited and abused by the Christian Brothers in Dublin 5 over many decades. For these reasons this is a particularly insensitive engagement to have accepted.
We are also shocked at the about-face of former State President Mary McAleese who, in June 2009 following the Ryan Report, rightly condemned the abusers at a gathering of Survivors at Áras an Uachtaráin (Official Residence of the President) but now appears happy to frolic to her heart’s content with the Christian Brothers and their supporters at Saturday’s bizarre event. There is a bewildering inconsistency to this approach unless you view the abusers as morally equivalent to those who suffered years of abuse in which case an explanation is urgently needed.
END
Signed.
John Kelly – coordinator of Irish Survivors of Child Abuse
Dublin – Tel 01 453 0404 / or (Mob) 087247 55918
irishsoca@eircom.net
Subject: Celebrating 100 years of brutality by the followers of Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers.
Submission to Mrs. Mary McAleese guest speaker at the Christian Brothers past pupils fundraising event to be held in Dublin Convention Centre on Saturday 20th October 2012 @ 6.30pm.
Dear Mrs. McAleese,
Had I been allowed to speak as requested the content would have been:-
Begin 1:
Steel yourselves gentlemen. I am neither a friend or grateful past pupil of your Christian Brothers Schools. I’m not here to congratulate anyone and say, ‘Well done faithful servant.’ My presence here may be seen as a messenger, and possibly your chance to remedy a horrible legacy, a frightful and hateful history that underpins the 250 years of your society. I suffered severely in Greenmount Industrial School under your management and supervision.
Indeed I am a past pupil and I speak for myself whilst conscious of the 170,000 Irish children delivered into your cruel care over the past 250 years. I have spent the last 12 years of my life, trying to improve the lives of survivors of the system.
All your works, including your Catholic empire building, are blighted by your most shameful involvement in the Industrial Schools system.
You herded, confined, perished, starved, bullied, battered, buggered, betrayed, flogged, neglected, and exploited innocent Irish children.
The perverse view that it was perfectly fine to treat us thus must have been aroused by an extraordinary belief that we were less than human, not even of God’s creation. Irish society was fully complicit in all this, yet there were dire warnings about treating children thus. Christ was very aware of what could happen, and must have shuddered on the Cross at the thought of what would happen in a future Ireland to His innocent children at the hands and fists and mouths of His so called followers.
Our only sin was poverty, needing alleviation not exploitation. But exploitation is what we got, and by the bellyful, delivered under a tsunami of brutality designed to dehumanise and traumatise, and which shell-shocked us into a condition where many were incapable of developing into loving, talented, and caring people we were meant to be.
How on earth are we expected to be thankful for this?
Unlike the 1943 Wanesee Conference conspiracy in Nazi Germany, there was no known nationwide plan to underpin the Irish Gulags. But the effects were nationwide, and remarkably uniform.
A system closely approximating cultural genocide took place when a whole subsection of Irish society was isolated and given the bare minimum to stay alive. A policy of undernourishment meant wizened underdeveloped bodies. I know. My brothers Liam, (Seán ) and I spent 35 years locked away in your Gulags.
Why did you perpetrate such neglect and pain? Christ never suggested anything like this. Au contraire.‘Do it to one of these, and you do it to me.’ He was divinely aware of what the possibilities were. ‘Touch one of these, and it would be better you were never born.’
Back in 1947 Fr. Flanagan of Boys-town Fame was only in the country a few days when he realised the terrible injustices inflicted on us. Politicians did not wish to upset Dublin Archbishop John Charles Mc Quade or the special relationship enshrined in the 1937 Constitution. Millstones should most certainly adorn various scrawny necks today in the darkest recesses of Hell.
Perhaps celibacy and chastity are the true culprits. Religious consecration does not eliminate the weakness of our human nature. Poverty, chastity and obedience may give rise to an internal struggle’ directly at variance with a healthy, wholesome, balanced, happy life.
Did generations of ‘religious’ become detached from the human side of their natures with catastrophic results for us? Possibly good old Irish social snobbery was, and still is the root cause.
The education that we were given was so poor, it makes it difficult to comprehend that the religious orders that dominated the Industrial school system-the Christian Brothers and Mercy Sisters- prided themselves on their achievements in ‘educating the children of the Nation.’ A cruel irony remains in the case of many truants from the National schools who were committed by the judiciary to an Industrial school ‘to ensure supposedly they received an education’, but we were not educated. Can anyone tell me why this was so?
That particular dish was never on the menu. Even basic literacy was seen as unimportant and inappropriate for us.
We were prepared for an adult life of menial servile labour to keep us firmly at the bottom of the social pile – that was the State Policy notwithstanding the Constitutional position on equal treatment for all.
We shall be haunted by what Ryan has found out for he has revealed a Great Famine of Compassion, and a plague of deliberate cruelty ’ in our institutions. Ryan is mind-boggling! lest we, or you forget.
Shriveled, undernourished and battered children were groomed for a future of drudgery and illiteracy, while their counterparts often in the same towns and villages, and at the same time, were consistently selected by social class, not ability, and were being pushed, with extra classes on Saturdays, towards the upper echelons in the law, civil-service, et cetera.
How much of the financial budgets earmarked by government for the Industrial schools were hived off by the Orders for their more superior class schools and other enterprises? Estimates do vary, but 25% looks about right. This was Thievery on a grand scale.
We must not forget that the Income from the Industrial Schools was the means through which the State endowed the Christian Brothers and followers of Edmund Rice in violation of the Constitution. Our vulnerable Irish children paid an awful price for all that.
Daily life in the Industrial School for me was filled with terror and fear. Twisted moral teaching, religious observance, and slave labour were all enlisted in the program to control and condition us. We were in an all male society, a dangerous world, which could never meet the human needs of developing children. According to their treatment of us. Christ was now on the side of the bloated and well off.
Widow’s mites were never enough; when one was embarked on Catholic globalised empire building. For this you took our bread from our mouths, and clothes from our backs, and light, love and comfort from our minds and souls.
The monastic atmosphere in class was repeated later on in refectories and dormitories. The brutal regimes, a far too spiritual life with its rigorously enforced deadly silences along with constant religious orientations, can never be the basis for young boys and girls entering the outside world. Oh how we suffered. No hope, no light, no stimulus, nothing to look forward to. No joy; No life outside this cruel routine. We were treated like animals, all emotions were stifled and we, little children became less than human, animal like.
All personal initiative was destroyed, all orders must be obeyed, and further institutionalising was likely, with departing inmates ending up in institutions like prisons or psychiatric care, or confined in mental hospitals and the like.
Today, and quite absurdly, I am invited by the Great and Good to ‘give thanks’ for what the Christian Brothers did to me, and others like me. Criminal abuse, systemic and endemic attacks on our human dignity, grave humiliation, in fact, ‘crimes against humanity’, have never deserved thanks.
The world learnt of the evil that spread across Europe when it was told about places like Auschwitz, Dachau, Belsen, Flossembúrg, Treblinka, and Warsaw. The Irish people learnt about the evil that was endemic in Christian Brothers Schools like, Artane, Salthill, Greenmount, Glin, Letterfrack, Carriglea, and Cabra, and of the 170,000 children who suffered abominable cruelty in these Gulags. The words Greenmount and Artane sends shivers up my spine, just as much as Belsen and Dachau does for the survivors of the concentration camps.
What is important for you and the direct perpetrators is to acknowledge your complete guilt. A true confession – a firm purpose of atonement, along with genuine expressions of deep regret and sorrow, whilst begging on your bended knees for our forgiveness.
The latter may not be forthcoming, but that is our problem. Too much suffering over many years has hardened our hearts but the absolute scope and scale of this genocide has yet to penetrate the mindset of Irish society.
And attitudes are changing.
The least we expect is to be allowed articulate how we have been harmed, and any interventions must be targeted to put right the wrongs done to us, and to do no more harm and stop telling us we are imagining things, or that atonement and proper reparation are impossible.
Our history books will contain a fair account of what happened to us – The Ryan report hopefully will see to that. Revisionism is alive and well in Ireland today. Airbrushing must be avoided at all costs; lets have the true story, warts and all.
Let us hope and pray that you, the followers and supporters of Edmund Rice will stop seeking to deny justice and fair play for us victims. I say that closure for the Christian Brothers will not come to them until they err on the side of generosity in their dealings with us. They should stop hiding behind smokescreens and Government policies. Then and perhaps only then may we celebrate future centenaries together?
Finally: –
Note that a request for a “ National…Annual…Day of Atonement “ was based on the fundamental premise that:-
We seek the “ Satisfaction View of Atonement “.
The choice of the word “Satisfaction “ does not mean gratification as in common usage, but rather “ to make restitution “: mending what has been broken…. paying back what was taken.
It is thus connected with the legal concept of balancing out a terrible injustice done to us.
Thank you.
Christopher Heaphy.
Chairman V.O.T.E.S. (Voices of the Existing Survivors)
Meeting to be held in Limerick
A meeting is to take place this weekend in (The Railway Bar Hotel) in Limerick, for all Survivors. This meeting will start at (17.00hrs, and will finish at 19.00 hrs).
This agenda is to discuss the lack of support Survivors are failing to receive from the group (Right of Place second Chance)
Just like the Cork, and limerick branches, Survivors in general are complaining about the lack of information, from the chairman Michael Walsh, his son Micheal, and the Co-ordinator, Mr Francis Treanor. Survivors have enough of this group, and its lack of support.
We have also had over (60) complaints from disgruntled members from the Waterford branch, which is the home base of the Chairman, and his son, which does not say a lot for them. Soon they wont even have a Waterford branch, and then (Right of Place Second Chance) will be no more.
What has happened to all this information which this group was to send out monthly? Complaints include the utter useless information which is displayed on the group’s Website, and which is of NO benefit to anyone.
All Survivors are welcome to attend this meeting, so please make every effort to attend. Your attendance is vital.
It is now time for Survivors to have a proper voice on their representation, and who ought to be representing them. People have had their bellyfull of these groups, and it is now time these people, who claim to be representing over 5,000 Survivors, are quizzed, and questioined, and asked to account truthfully, without the aid of a Dictator, for their failure as a Survivor group.
We would ask all Survivors to make a very special effort to attend this very important meeting, and to have your questions properly addressed, without being silenced by Dictators for once.
This is your meeting. Please support.
I think it should be the religous who atone. Everyones life was dominated by the church. Fear of having children when single has gone away. Millions of people are using contrecepton but still think of themselves as honest catholics.atonment is for those who were responsable. Education helping we understand that symbolic actes on one side or the other wont change things because thay change by themselves.Many dont go to church at all so who would it really affect.
PS:
Forgot to add the date to the above event, it’s on this Saturday, the 27th of October, in (The Railway Bar Hotel) in Limerick. All are welcome.
Hi Mossie,
Who will be Chairing this Meeting?
Will Notes /Minutes be taken and Circulated to those who cannot attend?
Could Skype be used to watch the Proceedings or Some other Medium? Or Videoed and Circulated on YouTube?
Just some thoughts on Inclusion for those who cannot attend?
Hi Mossie
Thanks for that. I don’t really have a lot to do with the groups as I think they are mainly out for themselves. My experiences with them have never been positive.
No problem Julie, you’re welcome, and yes these groups Are only looking out for themselves, and nothing else.
Take care.
Well thats good news. we who live outside ireland or england dont get any information from any groups at all and yet our data has been asked for But from what i have read on here thay dont speed up things at all for anything. Temporary places to live in wont help in the long run. KKeeping all these groups going costs a lot of money for whatever thay do. It would have been cheaper to buy up abandoned houses and give them to survivers to fix.
WATERFORD MEETING, SATUTDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2012.
A meeting will be held in Waterford, in the Glenville Hotel, starting at 19.00hrs, and will continue until 21.00hrs.
All Survivors are welcome, regardless of group affiliation. This meeting is NOT bias against any one who wishes to attend. We have nothing to hide.
The main subject of this meeting will be focused around The New Statutory Trust Fund, and what it means for Survivors in general, and how this Fund is to be implemented.
We want to go forward together for once (Without Groups)
Mr Tom Cronin will be Chairing this meeting, and will also be answering questions on the topic of The New Statutory Trust Fund. He will also try and answer any other questions Survivors may wish to ask.
Another speaker will be Mr Michael O’Brien, who will also be answering any questions Survivors may have.
We would ask all Survivors, where ever you may be, to do your best and support this very important meeting. It is in your interest, and it will keep you updated on The New Trust Fund, and how it will effect you.
We look forward to seeing you all there.
The latest on the group (Right of Place Second Chance}
I got some information today from a friend, and what he told me made me react to inform all Survivors of a possible breach of confidentiality regarding the security of their personal detals which are being held by the group (Right of Place Second Chance) in Lower Glanmire Road Cork.
On November the 7th, this person received a telephone call from a someone in the (Right of Place Offices) My friend wishes to leave the identity of this person anonymous for security reasons.
During this call, my friend told the caller from (ROP) that he believed a computer from their office had been removed by a member of their staff, and also expressed his concerns regarding the possibility of his personal, and confidential details, and that of his family, may have been accessed by persons NOT entitled to have access to this type of information.
He expressed his real concern, and fear to (ROP) and was informed that, the Administrator, who is a (NON MEMBER) and who works for this group, had authorised the removal of this computer, to upgrade it’s Database.
He asked this person in (ROP) to write an email to the (Chairman) of this group, Mr Michael Walsh, expressing his real concerns, and disgust, that this computer could virtually removed from the office, and could be seen by anyone, therefore breaching the Trust, and confidentiality he had entrusted to this group, (Right of Place) He also stated to this person, that had the computer needed upgrading, this task COULD have been carried out without any risk whatsoever in the offices of (ROP)
He added, in his opinion, the computer need not have been removed, and so he suspected there may have been an alternative reason for the removal of this computer.
Another aspect to this was, he found it very conspicuous, that the person he was speaking to, had asked the organisation on numerous occasions over the last two years, to upgrade the Database system. Then after two years, they mysteriously obliged, to the requests of the members in the office. The call lasted about an hour.
He received another phone call on the 12th Of November from the same person within (ROP) he had spoken to on the 7th November., and was informed that they had received a response from Michael Walsh, stating that (YES) a computer had indeed been removed, for the purpose of removing the names, and details of deceased members.
Mr Walsh also stated that he was very concerned by, how so many people outside the offices, knew about the inner office, and what was happening there. My friend was also told that the Outreach Officers were no longer allowed to take any more complaints, and must report all future complaints directly to the TOP.
My friend told me, that he finds this approach utterly inappropriate, as he knows that ALL complaints sent through this process will be brushed aside as Rubbish, and binned. He also asks, what are they paying Outreach Officers for, if they are NOT allowed to do the job they are being paid to do?
On the 10th of November, the night of the meeting in Kerry, this friend of mine received a phone call from another group, threatening him with Legal Action if any one of their names were mentioned at this meeting.
They were very hostile at first, but my friend returned their hostility and said he would hang up on them, if they continued threatening him in that manner they said, (OK) point taken’ they told him, they wished him luck in his quest, and he replied, he would NOT be bullied by anyone. My friend then hung up.
We have over 18000 who witnessed and survived the abuse.
Both Irish Government and Religious have admitted both their guilt.
We have the ryan report and many other reports to prove the damage done to over 18000 lives and their families.
We have the education fund
we have the counseling fund
we have the family tracing fund
((( all finished))))
NOW we have now a Statutory fund 110 million euro.
The Government and Religious have a 50 50 deal
YET TO THIS VERY DAY MR. RYAN AND ALL REPORTS BY WHOM VIEWS ARE TO BE USED REGARDING HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE ABUSED.
BUT THERE IS STILL TO-DATE NO INDEPENDENT BODY SET UP TO MAKE SURE EACH SURVIVOR HAS THE HEALING THEY SO NEED FOR THE DAMAGE DONE TO THEM
*((ACCORDING))*
TO THE RYAN REPORT AND ALL OTHER REPORTS.
HERE WE HAVE THE WHOLE TRUTH
THE GOVERNMENT AND RELIGIOUS ARE IN FULLY CONTROL OF THEIR OWN GUILT AND SURVIVORS ARE TO PAY THEM 110 MILLION.
MR. RYAN WHERE IS THE JUSTICE ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS?????
MR. RYAN WHERE IS THE HEALING ACCORDING TO THE DAMAGE DONE ACCORDING TO YOUR REPORTS????
YOU MADE THE REPORTS BUT TO DATE ONLY PAYMENT FOR SIGNATURES OF THOSE WHO SURVIVED AND HELPED YOUR OWN RESEARCH FOR THE REPORTS TO BE POSSIBLE.
WHERE IS THE BODY OF EXPERTS TO MAKE SURE THE GOVERNMENT AND THE RELIGIOUS DO WHAT IS RIGHT TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS WHO WITNESSED THE CRIMES THEY DID THAT DESTROYED OVER 18000 LIVES?????? ACCORDING TO REPORTS???
OR ARE THESE REPORTS BEING USED FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE OTHER THAN HEALING?
Well said Robert, a lot of people have done so well out of all this – history repeating itself again. My experience has been that they do not really care about us and they think we are a load of liars.
AGM meeting, ROPSC.
I have written to the HSE today to express my dissatisfaction with the group ROPSC., and i would urge, any other Survivor, who feels that they are NOT getting the services which these people claim to be administering, to put pen to paper, or email Mr Willie McAllister’s Secretary at the HSE. Email given at the end of this letter.
Mr Michael Walsh has called for an AGM to be held in Galway this year on December 06th. However, he has NOT sent out a proper invitation to his (Supposed to be Membership) Instead, he sent out a Newsletter compiled with old news clippings from the past year, which is nothing but Propaganda, and nothing more.
Seemingly, he now states that the only Survivors who will be eligible to vote at this AGM meeting will be, members who have updated their membership forms earlier in the year. Members will need to have done this a year ago., otherwise they will NOT be eligible to vote. No one else will be allowed to vote.
These forms were sent out to members on their Database, and members were asked to update their information, so that the database could be updated. I believe, not very many Survivors had responded to this request by ROPSC.
As anyone who did fill out these forms will NOT be a full year as official members of this group, they will NOT be entitled to vote at this AGM in Galway on December the 06th. These were Mr Michael Walsh’s very own words, at our meeting last week, which was held in The Imperial Hotel in Cork City last Saturday. A meeting which Michael Walsh, and his son Micheal attended.
I believe that (2) members of his board of directors are due to stand down at this AGM, but their ploy is to have these two board members reelected from the floor again. I believe, this is the intention of Mr Michael Walsh (Chairman) This being the case, ROPSC will NOT wish to have anyone who do not agree with their corrupt policies to be present at this meeting, and therefore get in their way of reelecting their chosen board.
Yet again, ROPSC are trying to make it as difficult as they possibly can for genuine Survivors to have ANY say whatsoever on the electing of the board of directors, and the Chairman. Mr Walsh’s position as (Chairman) will NOT be up for reelection, because he maintains on taking over the reins, it was agreed the Chairman’s position was a (2) yearly appointment. (THIS IS NOT CORRECT) Mr Walsh made this rule up himself.
If you are dissatisfied with Right of Place Second Chance, NOW is your time to voice your concerns to the HSE. You can email……… joanne.white@hse.ie Please address your concerns to Joanne. If you wish, you can also send your personal hand written letters to,
Mr Willie McAllister,
OPS Manager,
Louth PCC,
Oriel Suite,
St, Brigid’s Campus,Ardee,
County Louth.
I really cannot believe the pathetic excuse that was given by the (So Called Chairman) of the group Right of Place Second Chance, Mr Michael Walsh, as to why the AGM which was to be held in Galway was suddenly postponed.
He maintains some difficulties were brought to his attention by his legal team when examining a nunber of proceedures for holding an AGM meeting. This of course is not what happened at all.
Mr Walsh, we ALL know the reason why this AGM of your’s was cancelled. It was cancelled because you were advised by your Fundmaster the (HSE) who pointed out to you, that your proceedures were incorrect, as NO agenda had been sent out to your (SO CALLED) members for this AGM. Thereby, making the meeting (ILLEGAL) By the way Mr Walsh, just WHO is paying for your legal advise now? As we would ALL like to know.
Any ordinary person could tell straight away that your usual, push through proceedures were incorrect. You are there long enough now to know how to call an AGM meeting. Perhaps you were not tutored correctly by your last Outreach Co-ordinator? Dont know really why you ever took advice from that source?
I say that this is nothing but a blatent lie. (WHY) i maintain that if your legal team had gone through the proper proceedure in the first place, which obviously they did not, Mr Walsh would NOT have sent out his Newsletter to his membership in the manner that he did. Even i know the proper proceedure to do this.
And as far as being fair is concerned, you would not know the meaning of the word. You had intended doing the same as you did last year, and thought you would have got away with it yet again. Who is your legal advisor anyway? Whoever it is obviously is NOT very bright.
And yes, i suggest that before sending out information in the future to your (So Called Members) you follow the correct proceedures, and not be making a fool of yourself like you just did.
May i remind you yet again Mr Walsh, that Cork is the main Headquarters for Right of Place, and yet you steer clear from holding your AGM meeting here. The first AGM meeting (Should) have been held in Cork. You intend to hold next years in (Limerick) a place that does not even have an office, and Cork the following year. May i also point out, Cork happens to hold the main bulk of Survivors.
We are all too well aware Mr Walsh (WHY) you do not want to have this meeting here in Cork dont we? You are totally scared of the Survivors down here, because you know only too well of the hostile reception you will get from True Survivors, just like you got before, you are afraid of them.
And dont be making the excuses that you recognise that all of your membership deserve a chance to attend your AGM meetings at some stage in their areas. Members deserve to attend ALL AGM meetings, all the time. Mr Walsh. You do NOT want Survivors here in Cork attending, as they are too smart for you all. You dont know the meaning of the word Fair. This is (FACT)
You state clearly in your (FAQ’s) the only benefits from being a member of your organisation are, and i quote.
“The ONLY benefits of being a member of Right of Place Second Chance are that you can attend and vote at AGM’s and they are entitled to receive a quarterly Newsletter from you. These are the only benefits”
As far as i can see, there is NO point in being a member of that group, if that is ALL you offer the member?
Mr Walsh, you have also stated in your letter on your Website that the fastest way to call one of your Regional Offices is by clicking on the link you have provided in your letter.
I have done this, only to find that you have NOT even bothered your Blarney to update your office hours. None of the times you have supplied on your website is correct, as all of your offices hours have been cut to a few hours per week, due to cuts in funding as you have previously stated. Once again, you are NOT supplying the services you are claiming to, to vunerable Survivors. It clearly goes to show, you do NOT give a damn about the anybody but yourselves.
We are to believe that your Outreach Co-ordinator has resigned some time ago Mr Walsh. Is this correct? And if so, could you tell us who the New Outreach Co-ordinator is?
You stated recently Sir, that a survivor will only become a full member once they are members for a full year after signing the forms you sent out a few months ago to update their membership.
If this is the case Sir, then NONE of your members who updated their membership will be eligible to attend your next AGM, or to vote at this AGM as they will NOT be a full year as a full member. Have you thought of this? I guess not.
This was pointed out to you, and your son at a recent meeting in The Imperial Hotel in Cork a week or two ago, by one of your own staff members. We all noticed that you did NOT give him a direct answer. So could you please clarify just exactly what the criteria is, Survivors will have to meet, in order to attend, and vote at this AGM?
We await your response to our queries, also to see the proper paperwork being posted for this upcoming AGM meeting.
A very merry chrietmas to all from the arizona desert. Maybe the new Yea 2013r will bring some peace to us all.
seanie.
And a very MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU SEANIE. I hope 2013 brings you everything you wish for and much more. Paddy
Merry Christmas Paddy, It’s been a good year and next year will be even better.
A very Happy Christmas to you too. Let’s keep the flag flying for 2013. I hope it brings you all you wish and hope for. Paddy.
I think it is very unfair that the State of Ireland is stealing the Money we survivors of the hellholes of Ireland got from our abusers, the religious. It is the State that should pay for people who didn’t get an education in those places. We survivors from the fifties and sixties,who now consider ourselves too old for education should get financial help from the trust fond to enable us a holiday once a year. Due to a deprived childhood without any education our pensions are very small as our jobs didn’t give us so much pay.
My question is: how can I get some of this Money that is rightly mine so I can enjoy a holiday once a year?. It isn’t that Money that should finance the people who will futher their education. That ought to be the responsability of the State who deprived them of their rights.
When I was sixteen I was sent to a convent who looked after ‘illigitimate’ Children who were later adopted to America and Ireland. We worked as slaves with very Little pay. They called it an education which we could call ourselves nannys after two years in slavery and later we were sent out to a family to look after their Children and their homes. for very little pay. It was no better than the Girls who were sent to the laundries. We were never asked what we wanted to do. Everything was arranged over our heads. And without a language or basic education we were without Tools to crave our rights. I for one have suffered all my Life due to a very bad self esteem because of lack of education.That lack was a constant source of embarrasment. Everything I learnt was self taught as one didn’t have the time or Money to go to school back in the old days.
Now in my latter years of life I would like to get some of that trust money to have a holiday once a year.
Could anyone tell me how I should go about getting my rights? Please let me know. Mary