The Irish state has pledged financial redress to the survivors of Bill Kenneally’s abuse.
Seven survivors were present in the distinguished visitors’ box in the Dáil as Taoiseach Micheál Martin read an apology on behalf of the Irish State, on 14 July, last.
In a notable development, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that the State is pursuing the possibility of financial redress for the survivors.
Financial redress is generally understood to be financial compensation for those who have been wronged or harmed.
The Taoiseach explained that some of the survivors have taken legal action against An Garda Síochána for the serious dereliction of duty detailed in the Commission of Investigation report. He asked that these cases be resolved “as quickly and fairly as possible”.
Later Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan confirmed that officials in his department have been instructed to begin the process of securing financial compensation for the survivors.
“Acknowledging that there is nothing that can right the wrongs perpetrated by Bill Kenneally, I have instructed officials in my Department to begin the process to secure compensation for those who have suffered as a result of the failures outlined in the report,” Minister O’Callaghan said.
“The exact details will be worked out with engagement from the victims themselves but, on a personal level, I do not want to see those of you who have been through so much put through any further lengthy legal processes.
“I would like to see a mediated solution that brings much-needed closure to all parties,” he added.
This final point echoed the Taoiseach who also said he wants the compensation to be administered outside of the courts. It is understood that having the matter go back into the courts would create significant delays.
The Taoiseach also confirmed that the financial redress would be for all survivors who spoke to the Commission of Investigation, not just those who waived the anonymity.
Leaders of opposition parties, Mary Lou Mc Donald of Sinn Féin, Ivana Bacik of Labour, and Holly Cairns of Social Democrats all welcomed the prospect of financial redress for the survivors but said the compensation cannot be delayed and mistakes of previous redress schemes must not be repeated.
Leader of Aontú Peader Toibin, pointed to the dozens of missing children in the charge of Tusla today and said he worries that some of those will be in the Dáil’s distinguished visitors’ box in years to come.
BEFORE ENTERING THE DÁIL
There was a significant media presence at Leinster house including The Munster Express, as survivors, with their loved ones, gathered at an adjacent hotel.
At a media doorstep outside Leinster House, survivor Colin Power suggested that a meaningful apology was not a foregone conclusion. When asked what an effective apology would look like he said: “I think it needs to address all the failures, the Gardaí, the South Eastern Health Board. It can’t be evasive. It has to be strong. That’s what we are all hoping for and we’ll find out in the next hour or so”.
“A State apology wasn’t ever on our radar,” he explained. “I didn’t really know what a State apology was until four to six weeks ago. I know there is very few of them given out.”
When asked if he wanted to see Fianna Fáil feature in the apology he replied with an unequivocal ‘yes’.
“The organisations that had people in the 80s who knew children were being abused and did nothing, are apologising. Fianna Fáil had those people as well and they did nothing, and children continued to get abused, so to answer your question – absolutely I would personally.”
Also speaking before entering the Dáil, Jason Clancy, the survivor whose formal complaint in 2013 started the process of bringing Kenneally to justice said the day was not just important to them, but was important for their families and all the survivors who chose not to come forward.
“It’s huge for our families. They’ve been on this journey with us for the last 13 years, more or less. They’ve seen the lows, the highs, the tears. So, it’s so important for them, so it’s not just about us. But also, we know there are hundreds of victims in Waterford from Bill Keanneally.
“This is not just about us. Today we carry them in our hearts as well.”
STATE APOLOGIES
State apologies are reserved for the most serious failures of State institutions.
Recent apologies relate to the Magdalene Laundries, failures of the Cervical Check Screening Programme, and Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes.
THE CRIMES
Kenneally was sentenced to 14 years and 2 months in prison in 2016 for sexually abusing ten boys in Waterford between 1984 and 1987.
He received an additional four-and-a-half-year prison sentence in May 2023 for the abuse of five more boys between December 1979 and March 1990.
There is evidence that Kenneally abused young boys from 1970 to 1993. His abuse was notably sadistic and frequent.
In 1987 Kenneally attended Waterford Garda Station where he admitted to abusing a boy.
He was not formally interviewed or charged and it would be 25 years before he was investigated again.
Kenneally admitted to assaulting 20 boys when his home was searched in 2013, but some estimates put the true figure at over 100.
He continued to work as an accountant in Waterford City until his conviction in 2016. Kenneally also canvassed for Fianna Fáil and acted as a tallyman until 2011.
Kenneally died in prison nine days after the Commission of Investigation report was published. He is said to have had a private cremation without a funeral ceremony.
THE APOLOGY
Addressing the nation on behalf of the Irish State, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “As Taoiseach I apologise unreservedly on behalf of the State to the victims for what was a clear and obvious dereliction of duty”.
“Jason Clancy, Barry Murphy, Kevin Keating, Colin Power, Simon O’Toole, Gerard Mullane – we apologise to each of them,” said the Taoiseach.
“I also regret to say that there are, no doubt, victims who decided silently and understandably that they did not wish to give evidence about how they were abused. To those unknown men I also extend a deep and sincere apology.”
The Taoiseach acknowledged that two former members of his own party chose to protect their relative rather than the vulnerable children he was abusing.
“Two TDs, Billy Kenneally Snr and Brendan Kenneally failed in that duty to the victims of Bill Kenneally,” he said.
“They failed the victims by putting their own relative first. I am profoundly sorry that two former public representatives from my party so comprehensively failed to defend and protect young children from their nephew and cousin.
“There is a very real public benefit to recording what happened in Waterford,” he added.
PUBLIC REPS LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE
The process has also begun to make public representatives legally responsible for the protection of children.
This is one of the key recommendations of the Commission of Investigation report and has become a priority for the survivors who see it as a meaningful change.
It is believed such laws will make it more difficult for these failings to happen again.
UNIMAGINABLE LEVELS OF DEPRAVITY
Comments from TDs that followed the State apology were unanimous in their admiration for the persistence and bravery of the survivors.
Tánaiste and Minister of Finance Simon Harris, spoke directly after the Taoiseach.
“I have heard Jason tell a story about a photograph of his under-11 soccer team,” he said.
“In this picture are 13 boys from all over Waterford who are only connected by playing soccer for Bohemians Football Club. Six of them were abused by Kenneally,” he explained.
“That simple innocent photograph demonstrates just how prolific the activities of this abuser were, while multiple systems failed to protect children and bring him to justice.”
Tánaiste Harris went on to describe how these survivors effectively had to fight the very systems that failed to protect them.
“Even after Kenneally made admissions of his terrible crimes, he was not brought to justice. He was allowed to continue to abuse children,” he went on.
“The truth emerged, not because systems worked as they should have, but because survivors refused to give up. Faced with disbelief, silence, intimidation and enormous personal trauma, they persisted. They carried a burden that never should have been theirs to carry and the apology today is simply a testament to their courage, resilience and determination.
“They forced institutions to confront uncomfortable truths and ensured that future generations would know what happened. This led to the report the Minister for Justice published last month, which has shone a light on the clear and serious dereliction of duty that allowed the prolonged grooming and abuse of many boys, on many occasions, in many locations with unimaginable levels of depravity.”
AN OPEN SECRET IN WATERFORD
Among the many striking comments, leader of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, addressed the public gallery where the family of the survivors were seated.
“To the young people in each of your lives – your sons, your daughters and your grandchildren – let me say this: I hope that, when you look at your dad’s face, you see a hero,” she said. “A man who faced unspeakable trauma and still found it within himself to seek truth and justice and to overcome.
“He did all of this not just for himself but for you too, so that you would know the lengths to which he would go to protect you – to protect any child – and to comfort and heal the young boy that still lives within him and to right a terrible wrong.
“That is the measure of your father,” she said.
Deputy McDonald also said that Kenneally’s abuse was an open secret in Waterford where he was allowed to perfect the modus operandi of his ‘soulless evil.’
“For years, this was an open secret in Waterford. Local sporting clubs were his stalking ground, using his position in basketball, tennis and soccer clubs to lure young boys,” she explained.
“He was an incredibly dangerous man, a predator who perfected an ability to groom, exploit and blackmail his young victims. Not only did he sexually abuse these boys, but he also tortured them psychologically.
“The level of depravity, perverse calculation, and heartless and soulless evil that this man perpetrated is beyond words. It was repulsive sexual abuse. He manipulated, intoxicated, isolated and blackmailed innocent boys. Kenneally was insidious. He exploited the pure innocence of these boys,” she continued.
“Jason Clancy and Colin Power tell how Kenneally gifted them brand new Liverpool and Manchester United jerseys. To Kevin Keating, it was American football magazines. To Paul Walsh, it was Nike runners. To other boys, it was chipper food, cans of beer or lifts in his car. He repeated this modus operandi again and again. It was all cynically and demonically calculated to get close to young boys. That was the depth of Kenneally’s depravity.
“He was allowed to run rampant throughout Waterford for years. The scale of failure documented in the report of the commission is breathtaking. The report outlines in harrowing and shocking detail how Gardaí, senior church figures, school leaders, members of Kenneally’s wider and very powerful family, and the South-Eastern Health Board all had opportunities to stop him but failed to take them.
“Each and every time, Kenneally was set free and allowed to continue abusing young boys.”
SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD
The Commission of Investigation report found that the South Eastern Health Board had details of Kenneally falsely imprisoning the young boys, suggestions he was giving them money, there was evidence of threats, ongoing suspicious social interactions between teenagers and Kenneally, and claims from survivors that Kenneally was particularly interested in the younger boys.
Although these details were included in a report this knowledge was not acted on.
These failings were acknowledged by Minister of Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who said they weigh heavily on her.
“The South Eastern Health Board should have acted on the report prepared by Dr. Geraldine Nolan on 6 March 1989. That should have happened,” she said.
“That finding weighs heavily on me. It will weigh heavily on my predecessors and all those in the health system because that failure involved real people and real lives.
“The failure of the South Eastern Health Board to act on child protection concerns was not simply a procedural failure,” she continued.
“It was a lost opportunity to stop the continuing criminal abuse of children. It was a lost opportunity to intervene, to protect, and to bring accountability many years earlier than it eventually occurred.
“As Deputy Bacik said, the legal environment already existed. For survivors, that failure came at a human cost and today, we must confront that truth, as the commission has done,” Minister Carroll MacNeill said.
“No words can return those stolen childhoods or change or ease the suffering that was endured but we can do better and we can learn.
“The report illustrates clearly that the Irish State, through its laws, its services for children and its sex education and awareness but, more than anything else, its combined culture of protecting the powerful, was blind to child sexual abuse operating under the surface in far too many places,” Minister Carroll MacNeill added.
AS A MOTHER, I AM PROFOUNDLY SORRY
Having direct experience of the survivors and their journey, all of Waterford’s four TD added their comments to the apology in the Dáil.
Perhaps those given the most scrutiny would have been the comments of TD Mary Butler who has faced significant criticism over the years after Brendan Kenneally canvassed for her campaign in 2016 and was the landlord of her office until 2020.
In 2011 Brendan Kenneally allowed his cousin and then ‘admitted paedophile’ Bill Kenneally to go door-to-door canvassing for his own election campaign. Kevin Keating, a survivor present in the Dáil for the apology, told this newspaper that he had been canvassed by Bill Kenneally personally.
Minister of State Mary Butler explained in an interview with Damien Tiernan that she had never met Bill Kenneally and did not have a full understanding of accusations made against Brendan Kenneally until 2020, at which point she vacated the office owned by the now disgraced Waterford TD.
In the same interview Minister Butler acknowledged that senior members of Fianna Fáil in Waterford had acted to cover up Bill Kenneally’s abuse. Speaking in the Dáil she reiterated that two former Fianna Fáil TDs were among senior figures who failed the survivors in Waterford. She also emphasised that she was ‘profoundly sorry’ for the experiences these men have endured.
“The report found that two senior Gardaí in Waterford, Sean Cashman and PJ Hayes; a school principal; the South-Eastern Health Board; Monsignor Shine and two former Waterford Fianna Fáil TDs, Billy Kenneally Snr. and Brendan Kenneally, failed the victims,” she explained.
“Whether they stayed silent, failed to act or actively sought to conceal the truth, their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable by any standard then and now. Children were not protected when they should have been. Those failures compounded the harms suffered.
“As a Waterford TD, as a Minister of State in this Government, as a mother, I am profoundly sorry for what happened to you,” she added. “I am sorry that you as children were not protected. I am sorry that warnings were not acted upon. I am sorry for the years you spent seeking answers, seeking recognition and seeking justice.”
Minister of State, John Cummins, recalled conversations in his living room with the survivors during his time as Mayor of Waterford.
“It is difficult to comprehend how something so horrific could occur within the Waterford community that I know and love, and that it could continue for so long without Bill Kenneally being brought to justice,” he said.
“It is equally difficult to accept that he was able to evade accountability for so many years while more young men suffered. The survivors were failed by those who should have stood beside them. Institutions that should have listened did not. Authorities that should have acted failed to do so. The hurt caused by the abuse itself was compounded by the failures that followed and that is why today’s apology is both warranted and long overdue.
“While no apology can undo the harm that was inflicted or restore what was taken from you, I hope it affirms what you have known all along: that you were wronged, that your voices matter and that the failures identified by the commission are now recognised by the State.
“To every survivor I want to say, thank you.”
Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane paid tribute to the bravery of the survivors and personal cost of telling their story again and again.
“The damage did not end when the abuse ended,” he explained. “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” he added. “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.
“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.”
TD Conor McGuinness highlighted that although Kenneally’s life ended in prison, he was allowed to live freely for many years in Waterford.
“Bill Kenneally died in prison, where he belonged, last month,” he said. “Serving a 19-year sentence for his crimes against children in Waterford. However, he lived a long life free from the consequences of his crimes before the walls finally closed in on him.
“I encourage anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward. You deserve to be heard; you deserve justice,” he continued.
“No longer can this State or our society allow perpetrators to hide in the shadows. The days of deference to the powerful and well-connected must be over. The days of impunity, silence and cover-up must never be allowed to return.”
Kenneally survivors address the media outside Leinster House last week, before the State apology. Left to right: Jason Clancy, Colin Power, Gerry Mullane, Barry Murphy, Paul Walsh (hidden), Kevin Keating and Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law.
THE REACTION
Speaking outside Leinster House directly following the apology, the survivors noted that this marked a significant moment in their journey. After expressing some reservations before the apology, Colin Power, speaking on behalf of the group, explained that they found the apology to be comprehensive.
“I think it was a quite a comprehensive apology to be fair. From the Gardaí, the Health Minister, and Fianna Fail in the end,” he explained.
“I was very pleased with that and how it went. It didn’t really leave any stone unturned. It was a comprehensive apology.”
Barry Murphy also commented on the inclusion of Fianna Fáil, saying: “It was huge, even for the Taoiseach to name and shame members of his own party that assisted this man, that was huge”.
“There is a lot of pressure coming from inside the house to achieve what we want to achieve. Let’s hope it happens quickly.”
When asked by The Munster Express if they are satisfied these failures could never happen again, Colin Power said: “I don’t think we can ever say these failures can’t ever happen again, I think a lot of the time these commissions are a story for 24 hours with no real deliverance on any recommendations or learnings”.
“What we would like as a group, genuinely, is that lessons are learned from our 10-odd years chasing this,” he explained.
“We had a meeting with [Tánaiste] Simon Harris today and we expressed our concerns about the length and the collateral damage that can be given by the length of these enquiries, not just for us but for our family and friends.
“I don’t have the answers,” he continued. “None of us do, but there have to be better ways to speed up the processes, to make things more empathetic, and to get things done quicker and get to the outcome a lot faster. That’s something we will take up with politicians going forward.”
KENNEALLY SURVIVORS HAVE ‘CHANGED IRELAND FOR THE BETTER’
Waterford Councillor Donal Barry was in attendance in Leinster house for the State apology. He has a personal connection to some of survivors.
Cllr. Barry was critical that the Mayors of Waterford did not officially acknowledge the publication of the Commission of Investigation report into Bill Kenneally’s crimes.
The report was published on June 9. It was given a brief mention at the Council Plenary meeting for June, two days later. It was addressed more in depth at the Council AGM as Waterford elected new mayors for the County and the Metropolitan area.
Cllr. Barry contends that the report should have been acknowledged in an official statement.
Regarding the State apology, Cllr. Barry said the following: “Tuesday, 14 July, 2026 marked a significant moment as the State issued a formal apology to the victims of Bill Kenneally, following the publication of the Commission of Investigation”.
“My thoughts are first and foremost with every victim and survivor. I acknowledge the extraordinary bravery of those who found the strength to come forward publicly, and I equally recognise those who were unable to do so. Every survivor’s experience is valid, and every voice matters, whether spoken publicly or carried silently,” Cllr. Barry said.
“Those who came forward did so in the face of enormous obstacles,” Cllr. Barry acknowledged.
“They challenged not only a barbaric individual, but powerful institutions, including the State, An Garda Síochána, the HSE, the Church, and a prominent Fianna Fáil family in Waterford. Their determination, resilience, and courage have helped expose serious failures and have ensured that the truth could no longer be ignored.
“I hope the apology represents more than words. It must be an acknowledgement of the suffering endured, the failures that allowed that suffering to continue, and the responsibility of the State and others, to learn from the past.
“Above all, I hope the courage shown by these survivors gives others the strength to seek answers, to know they will be heard, and to access the support they deserve. Their bravery has already made a profound difference. It has helped shine a light on abuse, strengthened protections for future generations, and reinforced the importance of listening to and believing victims.
“While no apology can undo the harm that was inflicted, the official State apology should mark another step towards accountability, justice, and healing,” he said.
“The courage of the survivors has changed Ireland for the better, and for that they deserve the gratitude and respect of the entire nation,” Cllr. Barry added.
ROCHE PAYS TRIBUTE TO KENNEALLY SURVIVORS
Cllr. Mary Roche has paid tribute to the survivors of Bill Kenneally’s abuse following the apology from the Irish State on July 14.
Cllr. Roche has a close personal connection to some of the victims and has spoken about the matter at multiple council meetings.
“A non-existent Garda investigation back in the 80’s sought to keep it all quiet and to rely on his uncles, Monsignor John Shine and Billy Kenneally, a Fianna Fáil TD, to manage it quietly,” she said.
“Thereby, maintaining their own reputations but crucially, condemning very many – possibly hundreds of boys – to continued horrific abuse. Because, they didn’t in fact manage it at all and it continued for decades. The road has not been an easy one for the men who survived him.
“Not all his victims did survive. And every single one of them has paid a price in their lives,” she continued.
“I hope now they will find peace. They can be proud of what they achieved: the boys who – though they may not know it – were saved from abuse and those who might suffer in the future, who will benefit from the change in the law that will be introduced to address dereliction of duty in public office.
“Today belongs to the survivors,” she added. “It is their day. Big respect.”
WATERFORD MAYORS WELCOME STATE APOLOGY
Both Mayors of Waterford welcomed the State apology by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to survivors of abuse and acknowledge it as an important and long-overdue moment of recognition and justice for those who suffered unimaginable harm.
In a joint statement, Mayor of the City and County of Waterford Cllr. Liam Brazil and Waterford Metropolitan District Mayor, Cllr. Lola O’Sullivan said the Commission of Inquiry report recognised both the abuse suffered, and the widespread failures in how the survivors were treated.
“Exceptional courage and resilience have been shown by the survivors, both those who have spoken publicly and those who have chosen to remain anonymous. They have made a remarkable contribution to society in seeking justice, not only for themselves but for countless others who suffer in silence,” the mayors stated.
“The State apology represents an important acknowledgement of the wrongs that were committed and of the failures experienced by survivors, who have demonstrated extraordinary strength in their pursuit of truth and justice.
“Despite the immense personal challenges they faced, these men refused to allow their experiences to remain hidden. Their courage has not only led to greater public understanding but has also ensured that serious institutional failings can no longer be ignored.
“Their testimony has been instrumental in bringing failings to light, and their actions have rightly been recognised and widely praised.
“While no apology can ever undo the awful pain and suffering endured, it is a significant step in recognising the truth of their experiences and the profound injustice they faced. Their determination has led to their complete vindication through the findings of the Report of Inquiry and has ensured that their voices have finally been heard,” the two mayors added.
Waterford City and County Council is considering an appropriate and fitting way to formally acknowledge and commemorate all those who have suffered abuse.
THE NEXT STEP
Speaking in relation to the financial redress, Darragh Mackin of Phoenix law, who represents the survivors, said: “I think the reality is the apology is the first step on the road to closure, the next step is to ensure that these men will not go through any further court processes of litigation”.
“The simple solution to all of that is save these men the torment and ensure those processes get closed off, ensure the mediation occurs without delay, so these men can move on with their lives. They’ve given enough of their lives campaigning for justice.
“They are the personification of heroes,” he continued. “They took on the State and they won. The State now stands in their apologising to them.
“The State isolated them almost 30 years ago, as young boys in Waterford. Today they stand tall outside Government buildings with the Government apologising on their knees for what they’ve done,” Mr. Mackin said.
“For that the only word to describe them is heroes,” he added.
AARON KENT
