Blatant Inaccuracies Prejudicial to Christian Brothers

Let Our Voices Emerge (L.O.V.E) challenge the accuracy of facts in recent media accounts of ?Hunger striker receives ?150,000 for abuse?.

1) Mr Tom Sweeney claimed his RIRB award was cut because he opted for a full hearing to tell his story. This is blatantly untrue ? anyone who is not happy with their award can opt to have a hearing at the Redress Board ? we have seen no evidence that this has ever affected payment.

2) The fact that Mr Sweeney went to the High Court after turning down the RIRB settlement is certainly not breaking new ground ? it is the right of any claimant who is unhappy with their award to go to the High Court and sue the State.

3) To say six brothers were ?subsequently charged? following Mr Sweeneys? court settlement is blatantly untrue, and extremely misleading to the Irish public and unfair to the Christian Brothers who worked in St. Josephs Salthill, Galway. Six brothers were charged from the Institution (as Brothers and Sisters have been all over Ireland!), but those men never even knew Mr Sweeney and their charges had nothing to do with him. Four of the six have already either had their charges dropped or won their cases on appeal.

4) We maintain that the RIRB are awarding compensation on far too wide a definition of abuse. The cost to the Irish public is going to be far in excess of what true justice requires. If we don?t call for greater accountability ? we, the taxpayer, will pay a heavy price.

Florence Horsman Hogan Chairperson L.O.V.E