RTE has again stood over its States of Fear series following further criticisms from Father John Dardis, communications director at the Dublin Archdiocese. In the current issue of Link-Up magazine, Father Dardis took issue with assertions in the series that Catholic institutions received sufficient funding from the State to run industrial schools and that some at least of the money may not have been spent on the children in their care.
RTE has said, in a statement, that States of Fear "did indeed report that the religious orders and congregations were unhappy with the level of State funding and that in the early 1950s the government was prepared to consider increasing financial support".
It continued that, "as was pointed out in the programme, the religious orders refused to co-operate with a proposed (government) inquiry to establish how they were spending the money they were already receiving".
It pointed out that "Brother Hurley, the then secretary of the Industrial and Reformatory School Managers Association, stated the following on behalf of the association: `The inquiry would be the thin end of the wedge in an attempt by the State to impose its control on the detailed management of the schools.' "Most of the schools continued in their refusal to provide adequate accounts; and while the government did in fact increase its funding of the schools at this time, it is clear from State archives that even more money would have been provided in return for the co-operation of religious orders.
"It is reasonable to believe that the archives of the religious orders hold much that is relevant to a responsible and necessary examination of conditions in the institutions. When States of Fear requested access to those archives, it was refused. Examination of those archives would be a first essential step in answering the call made by both the series and by Father Dardis in his article."
The latter reference was to Father Dardis's comment that "we must examine how and why children at industrial schools endured such a harsh regime and why they endured such trauma and suffering".
RTE also contended that the reason the Christian Brothers would not co-operate with States of Fear had less to do with the producer's inability to guarantee them programme time in advance than that they had become generally "very, very unhappy with RTE".
This unhappiness was believed to be centred primarily on how the brothers perceived RTE television news dealt with coverage when a brother at Artane was brought in for questioning by the gardai. Until it was broadcast relations between the broadcasters and the Christian Brothers were understood to be very positive, sources at RTE have said.
It is understood the producer of the series, Ms Mary Raftery, is preparing a book on the history of industrial schools in Ireland since they were established in 1868. Titled States of Fear, it will also look at what has taken place since the series was broadcast. The book is expected to be in the shops for Christmas.
The RTE statement was issued following a query from the Irish Catholic.
