Following an announcement that the HSE is to set up a review of a six-year -old inquiry into abuse in Co Galway there has been a call for the resignation of the Brothers of Charity director of services in the county, Patrick McGinley.
The HSE said it is seeking to establish why the inquiry by health authorities into child abuse at Brothers of Charity institutions for the physically and intellectually disabled has being going on for six years. This "inquiry into an inquiry" is expected to be completed "at the earliest possible date", a HSE statement said.
In 1997 and 1998 allegations of past child abuse were made by former residents at institutions run by the Brothers of Charity Services in the (then) Western Health Board area. In December 1998 Mr McGinley brought concerns about the allegations to the health board. An inquiry by the health board began in April 1999 concerning allegations from 1965 to 1998. It is ongoing.
Margaret Kennedy, a consultant and specialist in disability and abuse, who has conducted training programmes for staff with the Brothers of Charity in Galway, called for the resignation of Mr McGinley on the grounds that, in her view, he has not been as pro-active as he should be where the health authority inquiry was concerned.
She also accused Mr McGinley of sacking her following comments she made to The Irish Times in December 2003 "about the alleged sexual abuse of large numbers of learning disabled people" at the Brothers of Charity, Kilcornan centre, Clarinbridge, Co Galway.
Ms Kennedy said then that she had "been made aware of the likelihood of up to 100 residents being sexually abused there. "Many by Brothers of Charity, many by other service users who have been so corrupted they simply copy the sexual behaviour that was perpetrated against them." Ms Kennedy had been training staff with the Brothers of Charity in Galway for over three years in a client-protection programme.
In response Mr McGinley pointed out that the health authority inquiry had taken place at his instigation; that it was entirely independent of him and the Brothers of Charity; and that it would have been "very helpful to have the inquiry report several years ago as we continue to improve practices".
He would not comment on Ms Kennedy's claim that she was sacked but admitted being "flabbergasted" that she had spoken to The Irish Times and written to the then minister for health Micheál Martin in such terms in 2003. It was, he said, "an amazing event".
Ms Kennedy has alleged that the Galway Association, which also caters for the disabled and for whom she had conducted training programmes, attempted to "gag" her. She said she received a letter from them last December saying she seemed unclear as to why she had not been asked to undertake further training with the association since last summer.
It said that before she would be asked again she would have to give a written undertaking "to abide by the association's client protection procedures" and report concerns she might have of a client protection nature to appropriated nominated individuals. Ms Kennedy said she was outraged at the implicit suggestion that she would breach confidentiality.
She refused to sign any undertaking and said that "as a professional consultant I reserve the right to keep all avenues open to me if I should consider the circumstances warranted it". A spokeswoman for the Galway Association felt unable to comment on Ms Kennedy's claims.