Survivors of abuse in residential institutions have been urged "to urgently achieve consensus . . .or else face the prospect of being excluded from the future direction" of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Mick Waters of SOCA (UK) said "we are going to be stuck with the Government's proposals on 'the way forward' unless we take a united stance and demand to be involved in drafting any new legislation. SOCA UK doesn't want the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse allowed to lapse and something unacceptable to survivors put in its place."
He said "all survivors' groups need to now come together and have a common approach to this crisis. Once we have agreed to speak with one voice, then we need to demand a meeting with the Taoiseach.
"At this meeting we want the Taoiseach to agree to a meeting between the representatives of the groups, the representatives of the religious and the representatives of the State, and jointly - around one table - discuss any new legislation, what it's going to do, and what it will achieve.
"Any amendment to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act 2000 should be by way of consultation with all parties' representatives together.
"We urgently need to use the general goodwill towards survivors and the support of the media. Survivors groups' should agree a statement that we are willing to work with both church and State to achieve an effective commission. As part of this statement, we must publicly acknowledge the rights of everyone in this process, survivors and religious alike.
"This may be our only opportunity to influence the future of the inquiry, which is critical to addressing the wrongs committed against us in childhood," he concluded.
Mr John Kelly of Irish SOCA said he believed "we have to have a united approach" and that his group had been exploring the idea over recent days.
Mr Patrick Walsh, of Irish SOCA but based in London, thought such unity of approach "a brilliant idea...whose time had come".
Mr Tom Hayes of the Alliance group said survivors had "got to get together. The Government believes we are not singing from the same hymn sheet."
He said he knew the groups could come together and that they would do so.
