Today must belong first and foremost to the survivors of the horrific abuse perpetrated by Bill Kenneally. To Jason Clancy, Paul Walsh, Colin Power, Kevin Keating, Barry Murphy and every survivor, those who have spoken publicly and those who have carried their pain privately, I want to say this: our hearts are with you every day, but today especially. I recognise the enormous courage you have shown and the terrible wrongs that were done to you, not only by the man who abused you but by the institutions and individuals who should have protected you and failed to do so, those who knew young boys were being abused by a monster and who did worse than nothing by preventing justice for decades and allowing the conditions for horrific abuse to happen and to continue. I want to acknowledge all of you - those of you who have waived your anonymity and spoken publicly, those of you who have spoken privately, those of you who have carried this silently with you and those of you who have never spoken and are no doubt still unknown. You have had to carry the consequences of that abuse through your lives ever since. The damage did not end when the abuse ended. It has followed survivors into their relationships, their family lives, their working lives and their mental and, no doubt, physical health. It affected confidence, trust and the ability to feel safe. It also affected parents, partners, children, brothers, sisters and friends. Entire families have lived with the consequences of what happened. It was extremely difficult, yet you persisted. You told your stories again and again to gardaí, lawyers, journalists, politicians and the commission. Every retelling came at a personal cost. Every interview made you revisit some of the darkest and most painful experiences of your lives. Today's apology would not be happening without your courage and determination, and it is important to acknowledge that survivors did not travel this long and difficult road entirely alone. Their families and friends stood beside them through extraordinarily difficult times. They listened when others did not. They believed when institutions failed. They supported survivors through investigations, court cases, media coverage, setbacks and years of delay. Without the love, strength and support of those families and friends, many of whom are in the Public Gallery, this apology would never have happened. We must also acknowledge the support of the wider public in Waterford and, indeed, across the country. People heard the survivors' testimony, understood the injustice that had taken place and stood behind the demand for truth and accountability. I want to recognise the exceptional work of Phoenix Law and, in particular, Darragh Mackin. Darragh and his colleagues have represented the survivors with determination, professionalism and compassion. They understood that this was about far more than a legal case; it was about human dignity. It was about ensuring that survivors were heard and the power of the State was finally confronted with the truth. I want to acknowledge two journalists, namely, Damien Tiernan and Saoirse McGarrigle. For years, they supported the survivors and shone a spotlight on the failures of State organisations and others in positions of authority. They kept asking difficult questions when some would have preferred silence. Their journalism helped ensure that this story could not be ignored, minimised or allowed to disappear. The commission's report found a serious dereliction of duty in the Garda response. It documented failures by institutions and individuals who had responsibilities to protect children but did not act as they should have. A 14-year-old boy walked alone into Waterford Garda station in 1985 and reported that he had been abused. His complaint should have been investigated. Had that happened, other children might not have been harmed. This fact must weigh heavily on the State today. An apology cannot give survivors back their livelihoods and it cannot remove the trauma they have carried, but an apology matters. It matters because the State is finally acknowledging that survivors were failed. It matters because responsibility is being accepted. To these survivors, I hope today brings some recognition of the truth you fought so hard to establish. I hope it brings some measure of peace to you and your families. Nothing said in this Chamber today can ever adequately reflect what you endured but, today, on behalf of the people I represent in Waterford, I want to say your courage forced the truth into light, your determination made this State apology unavoidable and your courage will never be forgotten.

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