THE TAOISEACH HAS said that he expects a State apology will be made to survivors of sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders.

Simon Harris said the recent scoping inquiry report into the matter has uncovered a “national trauma”.

The inquiry found almost 2,400 allegations of sexual abuse of children in schools run by religious orders. The allegations span a total of 308 schools run by 42 religious orders and 844 alleged abusers. 

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One this morning, Harris said that “a national trauma is an appropriate description of what our country is going through right now”.

He thanked survivors who have come forward to share their experience, giving particular thanks to David Ryan and his late brother Mark Ryan who were instrumental to shedding light on the depth of the scandal.

“We have this deep, painful wound now, and I use wound rather than scar, because it’s an open wound. It’s hurting today. We have people whose pasts were destroyed and it has resulted in their futures being put on hold,” Harris said.

“We have seen the most egregious breach of trust, responsibility and authority, and it was endemic.”

Live now from Tullamore, tune in to @RTERadio1 📻 pic.twitter.com/0RgeCwZnFW

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) September 12, 2024

The Taoiseach said that each new report in recent years about scandals in Irish society, such as those into mother and baby homes, has given “further insight into this cruelty that existed in our country, a cruelty that so many people must have known about”.

He said he is “very clear in my mind” that there is “going to be a need for apology and atonement”, but added that the government “needs to get the structure right” so that people are not left years waiting and not receiving answers.

“First priority is to get the process right, and then there will be the State apology,” Harris said.

“I can’t see a scenario where there isn’t a state apology and I want to say today, as Taoiseach, I am so sorry, and I feel such a deep sense of sorrow, hurt, anger and disgust, and we will get this right.”

The Taoiseach said yesterday that there are “levers” at the government’s disposal to look at making religious orders pay for redress to survivors.

David Ryan, one of the survivors thanked by Harris, had called for the State to make a formal apology.

“The pain is still there. We’re all suffering still,” Ryan told RTÉ.