Government to publish abridged version of Madonna House case

THE Government is to publish today an abridged version of a report on child sex abuse at Madonna House, Dublin, following legal consultations.

Confirming the publication date yesterday, the Minister of State, Mr Austin Currie, told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Family that he hoped it would "further facilitate knowledgeable consideration and debate on policy developments, and legislative initiatives required to promote the welfare of our children".

The report, produced by the order which ran the home, the Irish Sisters of Charity, was abridged by the Government for legal reasons, given that actions had been tiled against Madonna House and the Eastern Health Board by or on behalf of former residents.

Late last year the Minister of State said he had been advised that these actions claimed damages against the defendants for assault, negligence and breach of duty, and he had been advised that it would be "improper and unlawful" to publish any material which prejudged issues arising for determination by the courts.

It is three years since a history of child abuse at the Eastern Health Board's most important residential childcare facility began to be uncovered. This followed a complaint by a former resident to the Garda.

One man was later convicted of abusing children at the home over a four year period. Another was dismissed but was not prosecuted. Madonna House was closed in 1994.

In spite of calls by care workers and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, no, independent inquiry was established at the time by the then Minister for Health, Mr Brendan Howlin. Instead, the Irish Sisters of Charity set up its own review, chaired by Mr Fred Donoghue, a retired Eastern Health Board programme manager.

A representative of the order Sister Mary Magdalene, and professionals from three health boards were also included on the committee.

Mr Chris Flood (FF) said he hoped it would not be a "sanitised version". Mr Currie said that both he and the Minister for Health Mr Noonan, were determined that as much as possible of the current reports on child sex abuse cases should be in the public domain. The aim was to publish reports in full in future, he said.

A similar situation arose with "the west of Ireland farmer case where a man was convicted of a number of physical and sexual assaults on his children, the Minister of State said.

The relevant health board's inquiry had been suspended because the victims had instituted civil proceedings. On completion of work on the Kelly Fitzgerald and Madonna House reports, he would be turning his attention to it, he said.