Minister for Education Richard Bruton

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Minister for Education Richard Bruton spoke to Gavin Jennings on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning about the new fitness-to-teach mechanism which will allow parents and students make formal complaints about teachers for the first time.

After discussing the new initiative, Mr Jennings turned his attention to the legal letters that were sent, on behalf of Department of Education and Sate, to people who were abused as national school children and who have been taking legal cases against the department and the State.

The letters warned the abuse survivors to abandon their legal cases or potentially face significant costs.

Gavin Jennings: “Your department sent out letters last week to people who were abused by teachers in national schools, as children, again. Advising them that they face significant costs if they’re not successful in their legal cases, against your department. You’re being accused of intimidating victims: not the first time the State has been accused in this manner.”

Richard Bruton: “Well I think, you know, I’m very conscious of the people here, many of whom have suffered terrible abuse at the hands of individuals and there is, in some cases, a responsibility on the State and I think what we’re trying to do is help those people in a humane way. We have, as a department, as you know, spent ove a billion over the redress provisions and we’ve made ex-gratis payments in other cases where people have suffered very serious abuse and it has been known in advance, so what we’re trying to do is make sure that people are treated in a humane way…”

Jennings: “You’re fighting them.”

Bruton: “Of course respecting the law and the obligations of courts to ensure that, you know, this State is also…”

Jennings: “You’re fighting to protect the State and the department first, putting them above the interests of victims, yes?”

Bruton: “No, by no means, I mean I think we have introduced very substantial payments to people who have been victims of abuse. We have fully respected the European Court of Human Rights’ finding. We have paid compensation and we are offering ex-gratia payments to other people…”

Jennings: “Ex-gratia means without admission of liability is that right?”

Bruton: “Without admission of liability. But I’m determined to make sure that, you know, I will review all of this process. Those letters went out from the State Claims Agency, not directly from my department but I will review these processes to make sure that, in our dealing with individuals, that we treat them in the proper and the humane way that they ought to be treated. While at the same time respecting the role of courts and the law.”

Jennings: “Richard Bruton, thank you. That’s the Minister for Education…”

Listen back to the interview in full here

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