THOUSANDS OF people are expected to take part in a march of solidarity for victims of institutional abuse in Dublin today. However, the build-up was overshadowed yesterday by a row over a decision to postpone a Dáil debate on the Ryan report.
The march was organised to coincide with a debate scheduled for today on the findings of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. This will now take place on Thursday and Friday, following Fine Gael’s motion of no confidence in the Government.
Christine Buckley, of the Aislinn Centre, which provides support to abuse victims, said: “This march was organised very carefully to coincide with the debate. Now, we feel like we’ve been kicked around like footballs by the political establishment.”
She said it was totally unacceptable that “political power games” were seen to be more important than debating the abuse report, and called on all political parties to debate the issue today: “The atrocities perpetrated on the most vulnerable over a 70-year period are surely much more important.”
A spokesman for Fine Gael yesterday said it had offered the Government to hold its no confidence motion during private members’ time, which would have allowed the institutional abuse debate to take place as scheduled. However, the Government had opted to deal with the issue today, he said.
“It’s likely a debate on the issue of institutional abuse wouldn’t be taking place at all if Fine Gael hadn’t pushed the Government on this in the first place, so it’s clear where we stand on this,” the Fine Gael spokesman added.
The march organisers – which include support groups such as Survivors of Child Abuse (Soca) Ireland, Right of Place and the Aislinn Centre – have invited the public to join them in a silent march from Parnell Square to the Dáil at noon today.
They have asked employers to allow workers out early to join the march. Members of the public have been urged to wear a white ribbon and bring a child’s shoe to symbolise the tens of thousands of young people who passed through industrial schools.
“We think it very symbolic as we were very young children when we entered these hell holes and now we are for the most part broken adults,” Ms Buckley said.
The march has drawn support from other groups. Bishop of Killaloe Willie Walsh has called on people to attend it to express their solidarity with abuse victims. “Yes, I think it’s a very important expression and I would advise people to go as an act of solidarity with the victims. I certainly would,” he told Newstalk radio yesterday.
Children’s charity Barnardos, which will take part in the march, said it would give society a chance to stand up with those who experienced abuse in institutions and say “never again”.
Fergus Finlay, Barnardos chief executive, said: “We must not relegate the learning from the commission’s report to the past but take the vitally important lessons outlined and apply them to the present and future. We must ensure that our child protection and welfare systems never again fail so abysmally in the service of vulnerable children.”
The organisers of the march plan to hand a petition to representatives of religious orders which will call for justice for the “crimes committed against the children of our country by religious orders in 216 institutions”. They have also established a petition at www.irishsolidarity.com for those unable to attend.
