Ms Christine Buckley, of the Aislinn Centre for healing of institutional abuse, has appealed to Ms Justice Mary Laffoy to reconsider her decision to resign as chairwoman of the commission on abuse in residential institutions.
In a letter handed in to the commission offices in Dublin yesterday, Ms Buckley said the judge was the only person who seemed to understand what was required to achieve justice and closure.
"No one else has your expertise on this issue. We need you. We would like to persuade you to stay on." she said.
Ms Buckley asked Ms Justice Laffoy if she would reconsider if the Government were to agree to support her 100 per cent.
She said the resignation was a tragedy for the 1,600 victims who had applied to the investigative arm of the commission.
"What will this do to the healing process? How can we put closure to our abusive childhoods? Why has the Government decided to silence us once again?"
Ms Buckley said the Government's delay in publishing Judge Laffoy's letter of resignation had heightened fears as to how it would be presented.
"Already the reply is being drip-fed out before we have heard your side of the story. As victims we need to read your letter in its entirety.
"Would that please be possible?" she asked.
She continued that at Aislinn they deeply regretted the decision to resign.
"Minister Dempsey's plan to appoint a new chairperson will not work, as your replacement will face the exact same problems.
"The commission will collapse for the second time unless two more judges are appointed and the commission is provided with the resources to carry out its remit."
She concluded by thanking Ms Justice Laffoy "for the work you tried to do, the compassion you deployed to victims who have met you and I applaud your stance for justice."
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Ms Buckley said that she believed that the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, "has never understood the importance of the investigative commission for us."
His predecessor, Dr Michael Woods, had understood "a little better" , but she believed the only Minister who had really understood was Micheál Martin. He had been "extremely sympathetic".
