39. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will establish an independent inquiry into the concealment of an admission letter written in February 1970, by a convicted sexual abuser (details supplied) appreciating the concealment of this letter has impacted on the survivor’s accessing compensation, justice and closure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53911/26]

My department is examining its records to see if the letter referred to by the Deputy was brought to its attention.

Based on the information in the public domain it would seem this was a letter written from an alleged abuser to his superior in a religious order in the 1970s and therefore was internal correspondence within a religious order and not something which would ordinarily be known or expected to be known to the Department of Education.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government takes revelations of historical sexual abuse in schools with the utmost seriousness and has established a Commission of Investigation to investigate the handling of historical child sexual abuse in day and boarding schools.

The Commission is entirely independent in the performance of its functions and is currently in establishment phase, undertaking essential preparatory work. The terms of reference of the Commission set out the scope of its work, which is focused on the investigation of the handling of allegations and concerns relating to historical child sexual abuse in schools.

Under its terms of reference, the Commission is directed to investigate the handling by schools, and persons and entities responsible for and associated with schools, of concerns of child sexual abuse, and in particular, the identification of failures to treat such concerns in a manner which adequately protected children and the causes of and responsibility of such failures. It is also directed to investigate the handling by An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive (or its relevant successor and predecessor organisations) and the Department of Education and Youth of concerns of child sexual abuse reported to them.

The Commission will be able to receive information from persons who wish to provide evidence relevant to its remit and it will be a matter for the Commission to determine how it will receive and assess information within its terms of reference, including whether particular individual circumstances fall within scope.

Once the Commission formally begins its evidential phase, it will set out publicly the arrangements for engaging with survivors and other witnesses.