Donegal Sinn Féin TDs Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty have renewed their calls for the publication of the full Brandon Report following the publication of the Executive Summary of the report.
During Leader’s Questions in the Dáil today, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn raised the matter with the Tánaiste.
Speaking in the Dáil, Teachta Mac Lochlainn said “Today, the HSE are to publish the Executive Summary of the long-awaited Brandon Report into abuse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stranorlar in County Donegal.
“My colleague, Pearse Doherty, among others, have been calling for the report to be published.
“It has taken too long to get to this point. It has been a long and harrowing road for the families of those who suffered the most horrendous abuse.
“They hoped that this report would finally give them answers that they have been waiting years for.”
He added it is known there were over a hundred occurrences of sexually inappropriate behaviour carried out by one resident, who has been given the pseudonym Brandon in the report, and that there were eighteen victims.
He added “We know that Brandon was moved from time to time.
“But while such moves gave his victims and staff respite in one area, the move allowed Brandon to carry on abusing new victims in the area to which he was moved.
“It was the most awful of situations.
“These victims were the most vulnerable in our society.
“They were non-verbal and placed all of their trust in the centre and the HSE to protect them.
“That obviously did not happen.
“Those victims were failed.
“After the bravery of the whistleblower;
“After the reports to HIQA and the Gardaí;
“The individual identified as Brandon was eventually isolated and the abuse stopped.
“This can never ever be allowed to happen again, Tánaiste.
“But 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.
“The Executive Summary, while detailed, is still not the full report.
“What is there to hide?
“Why continue to drag this out?
“The families and the public deserve the full truth.
“In order to properly protect our most vulnerable patients going forward, we need to learn from the mistakes here.
“And the Executive Summary is not enough to do that.
“There are continuing questions for the HSE here.
“The Executive Summary raises questions in relation to the management and leadership of the HSE during this period.
“I am also annoyed that the publication of the Executive Summary has come on the last day of the Dáil term.
“Given the gravity of what is contained in it; I firmly believe that there needs to be sufficient time allocated in the Dáil to debate the report and its findings in full.
“So, my questions are as follows.
“Firstly, will the government press the HSE for the publication of the full report?
“When will see that full report?
“And secondly, will you commit to agreeing to provide time to debate this report in full at the first opportunity when the Dáil resumes in the New Year?”
