Donegal TDs renew calls for publication of full Brandon report

Further calls have been made by Donegal TDs for the full publication of the report into sexual abuse of intellectually disabled residents at a Donegal facility.

Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Independent TD Donegal Thomas Pringle again called for the publication of the report and described the lack of action from the Health Service Executive (HSE) in response to the abuse at Ard Gréine Court in Stranorlar as “appalling”.

His call for the HSE to publish the full report of the sexual abuse of residents over a 13-year period follows advice from the attorney general that the Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte could not publish the report.

An executive summary of the Brandon report, published before Christmas, revealed 108 incidents of sexual abuse were carried out against at least 18 intellectually disabled residents at Ard Gréine Court in Stranorlar. 

The abuse was carried out by another resident, given the pseudonym Brandon, who has since died.

The report found the abuse was carried out with the “full knowledge” of management. The National Independent Review Panel found that a lack of external management oversight and leadership from the Health Service Executive allowed the abuse to continue and escalate.

‘Appalling’

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Pringle said “ the HSE can, and should, publish the report”. 

“I call on the HSE to do the right thing and publish the full Brandon report. It is the least the families deserve in this regard.”

He said the reluctance to publish the report left him “questioning why”. 

“What occurred in Ard Gréine and the lack of action taken by the HSE to deal with it was appalling, but it has at this stage been widely reported on,” he said.

 “Much of what is in the report is on the public record anyway, so what is left? In my mind, it is the HSE cover-up and the inaccuracies in the report that would be exposed by publication that now motivates the executive.”

Responding, Ms Rabbitte said she had hoped to be able to publish the report, after the HSE decided it was not in a position to do so.

“Having sought the attorney general's advice on the matter, it is clear that the Minister for Health or myself may not direct the HSE to publish the report. No legal basis has been identified that would permit the Minister or me to publish the report.”

Families

Donegal Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty on Friday renewed his previous calls for the full Brandon report to be published.

He said that while the attorney general has legitimate concerns relating to victims' families' rights to confidentiality, “equally there are legitimate rights in the desire of some families to have the report published in full. If any family wants personal information withheld, it can be redacted and the full report published”.