Restore Together seeks meeting with Minister Foley

Restore Together stresses importance of any statutory inquiry not delaying justice for victims/ survivors

26 July 2024: Restore Together, an advocacy group that so far has supported over 300 victims/ survivors of sexual abuse suffered while attending Spiritan schools, has given a cautious welcome to media reports that the, as yet unpublished, government scoping report into sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders is to recommend the establishment of a statutory inquiry.

However, while it would welcome the establishment of a statutory inquiry in principle, Restore Together would only do so if it is structured to ensure that there is no further delay in victims/ survivors getting immediate access to the justice they urgently need.  Victims/ survivors have carried the burden of abuse for decades and are suffering on a daily basis. Every delay adds to their suffering and impedes their recovery.

It is already fully accepted by the Spiritan and other religious orders that widespread abuse took place over a long-time frame affecting hundreds and potentially thousands of children. Any Restorative Justice or similar support programmes already in operation or under negotiation with the various religious congregations must not be set back or delayed in any way by the establishment by the Government of a statutory inquiry.

Restore Together has written to the Minister for Education, Ms. Norma Foley T.D., seeking an urgent meeting with her to discuss the terms of reference of any inquiry currently being drafted.

Inquiries and tribunals can take many years and far too long before bringing justice and closure for those involved. Restore Together’s strong belief is that any statutory inquiry must be structured to facilitate the concurrent operation of parallel strands aimed at providing healing to victim/ survivors. This would mean that each person’s individual circumstances could be swiftly addressed under one strand without having to wait for the conclusions and findings of the strand dealing with examining wider systemic issues of how and why such abuse took place and was concealed.

Some religious orders have already publicly committed to positive steps such as Restorative Justice being administered for the benefit of victims/ survivors. Some orders have also committed to redress schemes for those who suffered. All of this progress has taken years of work to achieve and must not be displaced or delayed by any initiative by the government. In the interests of the health and wellbeing of the victims/ survivors it is vital that these programmes are not jeopardised but instead are supported so they can progress to a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible.

Justice delayed is justice denied. It has taken enormous courage for the victims/ survivors to seek help and justice from a modern and progressive Irish society that is finally open to both listening to and believing them. For many this has been a very painful step to take. However, the victims/ survivors of Spiritan abuse expected the process of justice and healing would be much further along than it currently is. Every delay is retraumatising for them and damaging to their health. The idea that a statutory inquiry might result in further delays is already causing great stress in our community.

About Restore Together

Restore Together is an advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse in Spiritan schools. It is made up of victim/survivors and non-victims. Together we advocate on behalf of victim/survivors for the provision of structures to aid healing from trauma.

Restore Together is working with the Spiritan Order to bring healing to those who suffered as children and continue to suffer as adults through a professionally guided and administered programme of Restorative Justice.

Restore Together’s objectives for all victim/survivors are: TRUTH – JUSTICE – PEACE – RECONCILIATION – HEALING.