The long-awaited and multi-million euro State inquiry into one of Ireland’s most notorious paedophiles is due to be published later today.
Bill Kenneally from Waterford is still in prison for multiple child-abuse offences in the 1970s and 1980s.
A Commission of Inquiry in matters surrounding his activities has finally concluded its work after being set up eight years ago.
It’s expected to be highly critical of certain State bodies and Garda investigations.
Kenneally is serving 18 years in prison for the serious sexual abuse of 15 young boys between 1979 and 1990.
Gardaí believe at least 14 other boys, possibly more, were abused by him.
After he was initially sentenced in 2016 victims called for an inquiry and after tireless campaigning, a Commission of Investigation into Matters Surrounding Bill Kenneally was set up two years later.
The commission heard over 5,000 pages of testimony during ten separate modules with 31 separate books of documents disclosed to it.
The case has been described by the commission’s chair as one of the most serious cases of paedophilia uncovered in Ireland.
The former sports coach from a well-known Fianna Fail family often met boys through basketball coaching, and groomed them by plying them with drink, money and other gifts, while subjecting them to very serious sexual abuse.
Mr Justice Michael White was asked to examine how the State authorities, the Catholic clergy, politicians, sporting organisations and others dealt with matters.
The completed 419-page report was formally handed over to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan yesterday.
The Minister is to bring the report to Cabinet this morning and it’s expected to be published on-line shortly after.
There are no plans at present for the Minister to meet with victims and no plans for the Minister or Judge White to hold news conferences about the findings. A statement is expected from the Minister later today in relation to the report and its findings.
Victims and their representatives are unhappy not to have been given more time to study the report before publication as they only received electronic copies of it yesterday. Some say they had also hoped to meet the Minister before publication. They intend holding their own news conference in Dublin later today, at which they are expected to call for a meeting with the Minster and his officials and for a full Dail debate on the report.
The final costings of the Commission’s investigations have not been revealed but it runs into millions in terms of legal and other fees.
Kenneally, who is in his mid-70s, pleaded guilty in late 2015 and again in 2022 to multiple cases of child sex abuse in Waterford.
The convicted paedophile had told the State inquiry that he didn’t hear from Gardaí for 25 years despite admitting to them in 1987 he had indecently assaulted a number of boys.
The retired High Court Judge is understood to describe his report as ‘nuanced’ in that it deals with individual decision making covering an historical period when there were serious systemic problems.
It also examines how in the absence of the reform of criminal law, practices and procedures, the hidden nature of child sexual exploitation was allowed to happen.
In public and private hearings the Commission heard from many different parties, including victims, Gardai, former politicians and representatives of State organisations.
Sections of the report are expected to be very critical of certain State bodies.
