The Government must commit to a full process of transparency when it comes to historical child abuse, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins.
Deputy Cummins said:
“Yesterday, the Dáil heard how a letter of confession written in 1970 by former Christian Brother Seán Drummond – who molested 18 boys in a Limerick school in the sixties – was concealed for decades. This was despite Christian Brothers in Dublin and Rome being fully aware of it.
“Survivors of the abuse, some of whom were in the Dáil visitors’ gallery yesterday, expressed disappointment after the Taoiseach described the existence of this letter as ‘new information’. This is hardly the case, as details of the letter were revealed in an RTÉ Investigates programme – ‘Christian Brothers: the Assets, the Abusers’ – last year.
“I have today written to the Taoiseach, calling on him to commit to a comprehensive process of transparency when it comes to historical child sexual abuse. The Government must ensure that all correspondence, letters, reports and records relating to allegations, admissions or investigations of historical child abuse held by State bodies, religious organisations, schools and other relevant institutions are identified and – unless compelling legal grounds exist for not doing so – released.
“While it is essential that privacy and data protection rights are respected, the default approach should be one of openness and accountability. A coordinated national process to identify and disclose these records would represent a significant step towards restoring public confidence and recognising the rights of survivors to truth and acknowledgement.
“Survivors have waited far too long for transparency. Every newly discovered document reinforces the need for a system that no longer depends on piecemeal disclosures. The State has a moral responsibility to demonstrate that the era of secrecy has ended.”
July 9, 2026