A LACK of resources and support were the main reasons why an inquiry into the abuse of children with intellectual disabilities took over eight years to complete, according to a independent report commissioned by the Government.
An inquiry team was set up by the former Western Health Board in 1999 to examine allegations of sexual abuse of children with intellectual disabilities at Brothers of Charity residences in Galway.
It found evidence that up to 21 intellectually disabled children were abused at the residences between 1965 to 1998. It also highlighted an unacceptable failure to protect and promote the rights, welfare, dignity and wellbeing of children and young people with intellectual disabilities.
The Government established an independent investigation into why it took so long for the report to be published following criticism from disability groups.
The report, published yesterday by John Hynes, former secretary general at the Department of Social and Family Affairs, does not blame any individual.
Rather, it says a number of factors contributed to the “inordinate and unreasonable” delays, including unsatisfactory terms of references, lack of resources and support for the inquiry team.
The report concludes that the scale of what was involved was not fully appreciated at the time and, as a result, there were unrealistic expectations of the time needed to complete the work.
“Consequently, despite the obvious genuine commitment of all of those involved in the process, the project took much longer than it should have.”
It says many of the difficulties in the original inquiry derived from the fact that it was non-statutory and could not compel individuals to answer questions. Dr Kevin McCoy, a retired chief inspector of the North’s social services, was asked in April 2006 to produce a report based on the inquiry team’s work. It was published in December 2007.
Mr Hynes said the main lesson that emerged was the need to ensure clarity of purpose in any future inquiry and realistic timescales and adequate resources.
The report highlights differences of opinion between the chair of the inquiry team and Séamus Mannion, who was the regional manager of community services at the Western Health Board, over whether sufficient resources were available to the inquiry team.
Apportioning responsibility, the report notes, was a difficult undertaking in the context of a non-statutory inquiry due to the need to apply the principles of natural justice and fair procedures to all persons being interviewed.
The report also shows that by mid-2001, every member of the team had either resigned or been transferred back to their former positions, except the chairwoman, Dr Elizabeth Healy.
Reacting to the report, Minister of State with responsibility for disability and mental health John Moloney welcomed the findings. He said it was vital that public confidence was restored in future inquiries of this nature.
“I want to ensure that whenever an inquiry is set up in future, we should have firm deadlines and ensure that it is not seen as an exercise in responding to a crisis,” he said.
A spokesman for the HSE welcomed the report and said that when it took over the inquiry, it managed to complete it “efficiently and without any unnecessary lapse of time”.
The Hynes report
This independent report was commissioned by the Government into why it took eight years to complete an inquiry into the abuse of intellectually disabled children in Co Galway.
A Western Health Board inquiry into allegations of abuse in Brothers of Charity residences in Galway started in April 1999, but was not completed until December 2007.
It found that 18 men, including 11 member of the Brothers of Charity, were investigated in connection with allegations of the sexual abuse of 21 intellectually disabled children at the residences.
John Hynes, former secretary general at the Department of Social and Family Affairs, was later appointed by the Government in 2007 to investigate why this report took so long to complete.