TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen last night sent out letters of invitation to groups representing former residents of institutions run by religious congregations to meet the Government in Dublin next Wednesday.
Similar invitations to meet the Government next Thursday were sent by him last night to the 18 congregations which ran the institutions.
Invitations have been sent to the Right of Place, Right to Peace, Alliance Victims’ Support, SOCA UK, SOCA Ireland, Aislinn, Survivors of Institutional Abuse (SOIA) and the Irish Survivors of Institutions, International groups.
In Dublin yesterday, all 18 of the relevant religious congregations issued a joint statement after a meeting at which they repeated that they were “available to meet with An Taoiseach to explore the most effective and most appropriate ongoing response to former residents of institutions”.
Ten of the congregations had said much the same last Wednesday in response to the Taoiseach’s announcement the previous evening that he would seek a meeting with them to discuss “what further steps will now be taken in light of what has been stated in, and the conclusions of, this [Ryan] report.”
There will be “a silent march of solidarity” with former residents of the institutions in Dublin at noon on Wednesday, June 10th, from Parnell Square to the Dáil, where wreaths will be laid “in memory of the living and dead” of the institutions.