Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Schools run by religious orders

The government approved the establishment of a Scoping Inquiry to inform the government’s response to revelations of historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders.

The Scoping Inquiry has completed its work and it submitted its report to the Minister for Education on 7 June 2024. Its primary recommendation was for the establishment of a Commission of Investigation. This recommendation was accepted by Government and further information on the Commission is available.

The Report of the Scoping Inquiry is available below. The Report is in five volumes and there is a separate section with Acknowledgements and a Table of Contents. This will help you to navigate through the volumes.

Please note that this report contains detailed descriptions of sexual abuse, physical violence and references to suicide. It may be distressing to read.

Access information on organisations that can provide support.

The purpose of the scoping inquiry was to inform the government’s response to revelations of historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders. The Scoping Inquiry was independently led by Mary O’Toole, SC.

The work of the Lead was informed by reports and inputs from experts across a range of areas including child protection, restorative justice and, most importantly, survivor engagement.

The government approved the publication of the Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders on 3 September 2024 and accepted its principal recommendation to establish a Commission of Investigation.

Further recommendations of the Report have now been accepted, following detailed consideration by the Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee, who has been advised by a high-level Inter-Departmental Group (IDG). These recommendations relate to the work of the Commission of Investigation, child protection, the legal system and memorialisation. A period of further consideration has been approved by Government in relation to the Scoping Inquiry’s recommendation that there be consideration of a redress scheme and engagement with religious orders in relation to funding such a scheme.

Engagement with survivors was central to the work of the scoping inquiry. The survivor engagement process provided an opportunity for the views of those who are most directly affected to be heard clearly, and ensured that the recommendations set out in the Lead’s final report to the Minister were informed by the outcomes sought by survivors.

The survivor engagement process was led by child protection expert Kieran McGrath, advised by Michele Clarke, and conducted by facilitators trained in trauma-informed practice.

The Scoping Inquiry has now concluded its work. Information on the Commission of Investigation is available.