Debate contribution: Clerical Child Abuse

Debate contribution by Ms Aisling Reilly on 27 January 2026.

MLA: Ms Aisling Reilly
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 27 January 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Clerical Child Abuse
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5345165

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I commend all Members who have spoken in the debate on the tone of their contributions. I acknowledge openly and from the heart the profound harm that has been caused by clerical child abuse. For many victims and survivors of child abuse in faith-based settings, that abuse was not only something that happened and ended in childhood but a deep violation that has followed them into adulthood and shaped every part of their life: their physical and mental health, their relationships, their faith, their identity and whether they feel that the world is safe. Too many lived for years — sometimes decades — without being believed, supported or protected by the very people and institutions that should have stepped in and acted. On behalf of all Ministers in the Executive Office and on the Executive, I express our deepest sympathy to everyone who was harmed. What happened represents a grave failure by individuals, by institutions and by the systems that did not listen, did not act and did not protect children. For many survivors, even that acknowledgement has come far too late; I recognise that. We know that delay has only added to their pain, but let me say this: victims and survivors deserve the truth, justice and, above all, to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion in everything that we do. I recognise the strength and courage that it takes to speak about such experiences. I have met many victims and survivors of clerical child abuse, and I know how much strength it takes to tell your story, often at great personal cost. As Ministers, we are committed to the work, to improving safeguarding and to making sure that victims and survivors are properly supported. What has stayed with me most from my meetings is not just the horror of what people endured but their dignity and determination and their deep desire of those people to ensure that what happened to them is neither denied nor repeated. Therefore, let me restate this: your voices matter, and your voices will continue to shape the work as we move forward. As Ministers, we take our responsibility to listen to your experiences very seriously. Members will know only too well that the pain of the past still runs deep across our society. Many of you have supported victims and survivors over many years, and you will understand that no two experiences or needs are the same. You will also know that supporting victims and survivors has been at the heart of the work of the Executive Office over the past 15 years. During that time, Ministers and officials in that Department have worked to develop a range of programmes and supports for those harmed by our past, whether that was through violence during our conflict or through historical abuse of different kinds. A significant part of the Department's work and resources is now focused on dealing with historical harms, from the victims and survivors strategy to the Regional Trauma Network, the victims' payments scheme and the historical institutional abuse redress scheme. Work is also ongoing on a memorial plaque for victims of historical abuse, and the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill is going through the Assembly. Alongside all of that is the counselling and trauma-informed support provided by the Victims and Survivors Service. From that work, we have learned a great deal directly from victims and survivors and from those who supported them about what they need and how best those needs can be met. We know that it is impossible to meet everyone's needs in the same way or at the same time and, indeed, that not all victims want the same things. Each form of abuse is different; each person's experience is different; and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Thank you for the intervention. As I work through my speech, I will touch on those issues. As Ministers, we have to consider that there are many other circumstances that need to be taken into account when considering our response to historical abuse, such as where the abuse occurred, who was responsible at the time for preventing or detecting abuse and the wider role of the state. Those are important but necessary considerations, and they underline why careful, thoughtful decision-making matters so much. I now turn to the recent work on clerical child abuse. As Members may know, in 2024, the interdepartmental working group (IDWG) commissioned three independent research projects. The terms of reference for each research project were developed in consultation with the reference groups of victims and survivors. Throughout that work, there was a clear need to move as quickly as possible while acting ethically and responsibly. Much time had already passed before the work even began, and, while there has been real urgency behind the process, we recognise that, for survivors, any delay can be deeply painful. The first study focused on scoping records and information relevant to historical clerical abuse. Through a detailed survey of over 1,000 faith organisations, that work has helped to build a clear picture of what records and information exist relating to historical abuse, where that material is held and what condition it is in. The second study explored the experiences, expectations and needs of victims and survivors, and it is, by its very nature, a difficult report to read. It lays bare the devastating impact of abuse and the failures that enabled harm to continue.
The third study examined current safeguarding practices in the faith sector. That was forward-looking work, and it focused on what more can be done now and in the future to protect children and ensure that safeguarding is robust, transparent and consistently applied.
Once the research was completed, the interdepartmental working group considered the findings from each project, and, along with the victims and survivors, developed high-level recommendations — importantly, based solely on the evidence from that research. It was not the remit of the IDWG or the reference group to focus on wider contextual issues. It was always made clear to victims and survivors that consideration of wider issues, including financial and legal implications, was and remains for officials to include when providing policy advice to Ministers. The research was commissioned to build evidence, improve understanding and inform Ministers' decision-making; it was not specifically for publication. That objective remains central. However, if publication is considered in the future, it will be essential that the confidentiality and well-being of all participants are fully protected and that those involved are properly supported. Throughout the process, engagement with victims and survivors of clerical abuse has been meaningful and sustained. Victims and survivors helped to shape the research. They were kept informed as work progressed. Engagement also took place beyond formal structures. The chair of the IDWG also maintained contact with survivors who chose not to participate in a formal reference group, recognising that people engage in different ways and at different times. That engagement was not superficial. Victims and survivors were at the heart of the work. I thank every person who contributed to the process by sharing their experiences, shaping the research and helping to bring the truth out into the open. Officials have continued to engage with victims and survivors. However, that was recently impacted on by legal action. For my part, I first met the reference group of victims and survivors of clerical child abuse, along with the then junior Minister, in September 2024. I later attended part of a meeting in May 2025 at which draft recommendations were discussed, and I had an opportunity to restate our commitment to that important work. I do so again today. I heard first-hand the care, seriousness and thought that victims and survivors brought to the process. All those private engagements had a profound impact on me and only served to deepen my understanding of their experiences. All my subsequent engagements have been informed by those personal experiences. Victims and survivors remain central to our considerations. As has been mentioned, junior Minister Bunting and I will meet again with some victims and survivors of clerical child abuse in the coming weeks. Members will appreciate that it is a complex and deeply sensitive issue, and it requires careful consideration, as has been mentioned by others. Since the reports were received, the First Minister and deputy First Minister have met officials and the then independent chair of the IDWG, Lisa Caldwell, to discuss the work of the IDWG and the views of victims and survivors.
I will.
As I said, the issue requires careful consideration, and when the reports were received, we met officials, and we will meet them again. As we progress through that, we will inform Members and victims and survivors of how we are progressing with that. Our discussions have highlighted the range of views and the strength of opinion among the victims and survivors of clerical abuse regarding the next steps. Ministers have also raised the issue of clerical abuse with the PSNI Chief Constable, and officials have met the PSNI to further discuss how it handles historic cases and the implications for taking forward any of the recommendations. Officials have also engaged with the Department of Health and colleagues in the South. That work is ongoing and will continue. Decisions are being carefully developed, informed by evidence, engagement and lived experience. We are exploring what can be done now and what actions require further information. Some early actions could include support for victims and survivors and work to improve current safeguarding. When any decisions are taken, we will ensure that the victims and survivors are the first to know. Before I close, I will touch on the issue of unmarked graves, which was referenced quite a few times. The diocese has provided copies of the records to the Public Record Office (PRONI). Our officials are engaging with the Department for Communities and the diocese on that, but I take the point about where the physical records are. I am happy to go back to officials to get clarification on that and to provide that to Members. It is important to say that this is not the responsibility of government alone. Faith organisations where abuse took place have a responsibility. They have to do more work, and they have to engage honestly with victims and survivors. They have to acknowledge their failings and make meaningful efforts to put things right. We welcome those who have begun that journey and the public statements that have been made by faith organisations, in which they have acknowledged their failings, and the efforts that some have made to redress the wrongs of the past. However, we strongly encourage others to do the same in order to support those victims and survivors who suffered under their watch. Faith organisations have a moral duty to disclose what happened in the past and to make sure that any relevant information is provided to the appropriate authorities. Silence from them is not acceptable. There is no disputing the seriousness of what has happened or the long shadow that has been cast over the lives of victims and survivors. Words alone cannot undo the harm that was done. They must be matched by thoughtful, compassionate and effective action. We know that victims and survivors might want to see the work progressing at a quicker pace, but it is extremely detailed and complex, and we will always give it the thorough attention that it deserves. It may not always be visible, but progress is being made. It is driven by a shared determination to establish the facts and to make sure that documents are preserved and information is disclosed to the relevant authorities, while making sure that those who were harmed are treated with the care, respect and seriousness that they deserve and that there is an enhanced focus on safeguarding.
Absolutely, I agree with the Member, as would everybody here. When you hand a child over to an organisation, whether that be a faith-based organisation, a school or a youth club, you expect them to be safe. As Ministers, our focus is to keep victims and survivors at the heart of this work and to continue to engage and listen carefully in order to make sure that future decisions are grounded by evidence, shaped by lived experience and informed by a trauma-informed approach. That is our commitment to the House.

2,072 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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