Survivors of abuse by former basketball coach Bill Kenneally are reflecting on a significant moment today, following a State apology delivered in the Dáil yesterday over the failures that allowed his crimes to continue.
The victims were at Leinster House to hear Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledge the shortcomings in the investigation into Kenneally’s abuse. Kenneally, who was responsible for the abuse of a number of young boys during the 1970s and 1980s, died in prison just days after a Commission of Investigation found that repeated opportunities were missed by authorities to intervene and prevent further harm.
The apology has been described by the Tánaiste Simon Harris as an important step in recognising the experiences of survivors, many of whom spent years campaigning for answers, accountability and acknowledgement of what happened to them.
We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Colin Power, one of the survivors of Bill Kenneally’s abuse, to talk about the State apology, what it means to finally receive that recognition, and the long journey survivors have taken to have their voices heard