The Department of Education has been accused by a group representing survivors of "dividing and exploiting" victims of abuse in residential institutions.
The claim was made last night by Mr John Kelly of Irish SOCA following a meeting yesterday of three other survivor groups with the Department of Education.
Mr Kelly also accused the Department of "controlling the victims as they controlled the \ Commission". He believed "it cannot be involved" in such an inquiry.
Irish SOCA, which represents survivors of abuse in residential institutions now living in the UK and Ireland, has called a meeting for Liberty Hall in Dublin for September 28th to discuss this and related issues.
Mr Kelly said the National Office of Victims of Abuse, where the other survivor groups met Department of Education officials yesterday, was funded by the Department, as were activities by the groups at the meeting.
At yesterday's meeting the Department insisted on a sampling approach to the commission's investigation committee's work. It appears that this approach has divided the survivor groups, frustrating current attempts to unite them.
Alliance and Right of Place, two of the three groups at yesterday's meeting, which went on for more than three hours, have agreed to consult membership on sampling, while Mr Mick Waters of SOCA (UK), the other group represented, rejected it outright.
Sources at both Alliance and Right of Place indicated they were not opposed to sampling but would like numbers to be more representative, ensuring all institutions were included.
In a brief joint statement after yesterday's meeting, Department officials and survivor representatives said it had been "very constructive" and that agreement had been reached on a number of issues. They will meet again within two weeks. Regret was expressed that the Aislinn Centre was not represented.
Ms Christine Buckley of the Aislinn Centre, who refused to attend the meeting, last night reiterated her total opposition to sampling. She also dismissed a claim that last month, at a meeting with Department officials, Aislinn had agreed to sampling in principle. She "blew a fuse" at the suggestion, she said.
Mr Waters said he agreed with Ms Buckley on her stance. There would be no compromise on the matter, he said. Also opposed to sampling, Mr Kelly believed the issue might be got around.
Mr Colm O'Gorman of the One in Four group has also strongly opposed sampling. Mindful that he did not have the same level of personal expertise on abuse in residential institutions as representatives of survivor groups, he said, he felt a responsibility as a citizen to support them in their attempts to expose what went on.
Mr O'Gorman met Mr Waters last night to discuss how groups might be united. Mr Kelly said he had no problem with a joint approach. Concerned about divisions over sampling, Mr Waters said he hoped as many of the groups as possible attend a meeting being considered for Dublin next Monday.
