Waterford councillors have unanimously backed a call for the immediate Kenneally report publication, urging the Minister for Justice to release the findings without delay.

The motion, brought forward at the latest plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council by Declan Clune and seconded by Mary Roche, focused on delivering long-awaited closure for survivors of abuse.

Call for immediate release of Kenneally report

Councillor Clune said the motion centres on supporting survivors of abuse carried out by Bill Keneally and ensuring transparency.

He told the chamber that the final report of the Commission of Investigation, led by former High Court Judge Michael White, has now been completed and submitted to the Department of Justice.

“The decision to publish the report now rests solely with the Minister,” he said.
“Survivors have waited long enough for official recognition of the truth of their experiences.”

Clune urged Jim O’Callaghan to act without delay and release the findings.

Survivors ‘have waited decades’

Seconding the motion, Councillor Roche highlighted the long-term impact on survivors and the length of time they have waited for answers.

She referenced the experience of her own family and said victims had endured decades of trauma.

“Their teenage years were hijacked from them,” she said.
“They have lived with this for 40 years and have waited 10 years for this investigation.”

Roche also stressed that survivors should be informed before the report is made public, warning against a repeat of past failings where reports were leaked before victims were briefed.

Concern over delays

Independent councillor Joe Kelly supported the motion, warning against any unnecessary delay in publishing the findings.

“We have a history in this country of delaying the publication of reports, often by decades,” he said.
“The main interest here is the survivors and society needs to learn lessons from what comes out of this report.”

‘A matter of duty’ for council

Mayor Seamus Ryan described the motion as one of significant importance and said councillors had a responsibility to support it.

“It’s not often that we get motions of such gravity,” he said.
“We would be failing in our duty if we didn’t debate it and make this call.”

Motion passed unanimously

The motion calling for immediate Kenneally report publication passed without opposition.

It will now be forwarded to the Minister for Justice, the Department of Justice and relevant authorities for consideration.

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