{"id":24468,"date":"2021-12-16T16:23:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T21:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24468"},"modified":"2021-12-17T08:25:48","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T13:25:48","slug":"government-seeking-legal-advice-on-publication-of-brandon-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24468","title":{"rendered":"Government Seeking Legal Advice On Publication Of ‘Brandon’ Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State for Disability, met the HSE on Tuesday to discuss the publication of the report (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Government is seeking advice from the Attorney General as to whether it can publish the full \u2018Brandon\u2019 report into the prolonged sexual abuse of intellectually disabled residents in Co Donegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HSE published the executive summary of the report, completed by the National Independent Review Panel (NIRP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report found that a former resident of a HSE-run disability center carried out more than 100 sexual assaults of 18 intellectually disabled adults between 2003 and 2016<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resident, given the pseudonym Brandon, carried out the sexual assaults with the \u201cfull knowledge\u201d of management and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Padraig Mac Lochlainn called for the full publication of the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Donegal TD said it has been a \u201clong and harrowing road\u201d for the families of those who suffered the horrendous abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey hoped that this report would finally give them answers that they\u2019ve been waiting years for,\u201d Mr Mac Lochlainn told the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe now know that there were over 100 occurrences of sexually inappropriate behavior carried out by one resident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was the most awful of situations. These victims were the most vulnerable in our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were non-verbal and placed all of their trust in the center and the HSE to protect them. That obviously did not happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose victims were failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut even after all of this, even after all of the public cries for the publication of the report, the full report is still not being published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe executive summary, while detailed, is still not the full report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe families and the Irish public need to know all of the facts. Why continue to drag this out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar said he was \u201chorrified\u201d by what was contained in the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told the D\u00e1il that Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State for Disability, met the HSE on Tuesday to discuss the publication of the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn relation to the full report, Minister Rabbitte is seeking advice from the Attorney General (Paul Gallagher) as to whether she can publish it either fully or in redacted form,\u201d Mr Varadkar added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe HSE at the moment says it\u2019s not possible, but Minister Rabbitte isn\u2019t accepting that at this point in time and is seeking advice from the attorney as to whether she can publish it in full or if not in full at least in redacted form.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Varadkar added: \u201cI\u2019m very conscious that in discussing this matter, there are families who have been deeply impacted and are deeply hurting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think for anyone who\u2019s read or listened to the reports on the issue, they\u2019re going to be shocked, and they\u2019re going to be upset about what has happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCertainly, when I read about it, at first I was horrified that this could have happened and even felt disbelief that something like this could happen and continue to happen for a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur thoughts are in the first instance with the individuals and families affected. I can\u2019t begin to imagine what they\u2019ve been going through this morning and indeed, in the years gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it is important that lessons are learned and changes are made and that the recommendations in the report are fully implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe HSE has assured the Minister that there\u2019s no ongoing risk service users and that national governance and accountability structures overseeing the implementation recommendations arising from the report are now in place,\u201d Mr Varadkar added.<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>