)
What is the Scoping Inquiry?
The Scoping Inquiry was introduced by the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, on 7 March 2023 to investigate a series of abuse allegations made against schools run by religious congregations.
The inquiry will take the form of a report, which will include opinions from experts specialising in areas such as child protection and survivor engagement. Once the inquiry has been conducted, Ms. Foley will outline recommendations and next steps.
Recent Developments
On 14 December 2023, a letter was issued by the Department of Education stating that the survivor engagement team is currently reviewing and analysing the information that has been furnished to them by survivors who came forward via interviews, written submissions and questionnaires. The Department also stated that they are continuing to engage with religious orders, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and various other Government Departments.
The Scoping Inquiry team have confirmed that expert reports on child protections systems, frameworks and restorative justice have been commissioned. The team is also engaged in research, such as the impact on survivors and families.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the recent developments can be viewed as good progress. Although we have been informed that the report deadline has been extended to 7 November 2024, we can still view the recent progress as positive and it is hoped that the report will be detailed and thorough, to include a broad range of sources and expert opinions.
Further Information
For further details and background, please see our prior article Scoping Inquiry into Historical Religious Order Sexual Abuse Claims
Lavelle Partners act for several clients in relation to historic child sexual abuse cases.
If you would like to discuss a possible case, please contact Avril Scally, Head of Medical Negligence & Personal Injury, in the strictest confidence on +353 1 644 5800 or email ascally@lavellepartners.ie