The Minister for Education of Ireland, Norma Foley, announced Tuesday that a commission will investigate sexual abuse in Catholic schools after nearly 2,400 allegations came to light in the Report of the Scoping Inquiry.

The Scoping Inquiry began in March 2023 and aimed to “enable consultation with survivors” and determine their desired outcomes from the government. It contains information about the scope of the sexual abuse allegations, the experiences of survivors, and recommendations to the government based on what survivors hope in moving forward.

According to the Scoping Inquiry, there were 2,395 allegations in 308 schools from 1927-2013 that were “recorded by the religious orders” in charge of the schools. However, the Scoping Inquiry recognized there may be more allegations due to under-reporting. The majority of the allegations involved members of the religious orders and the “primary direct source of data” came from the “religious orders and schools themselves.”

The main recommendation from the Scoping Inquiry was a statutory inquiry, specifically a Commission of Investigation per the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, as honored by Minister Foley. This recommendation considered the several features of a statutory inquiry identified in the Scoping Inquiry to be important to most survivors, including an investigation that minimizes retraumatisation, would be the “least adversarial” and would be accessible to the public. When comparing the outcomes between a commission or tribunal, the Scoping Inquiry considered a commission to be more favorable as it meets the important aspects regarded by most of the survivors and is generally a quicker process than a tribunal.

In the press release, Foley stated:

The scale and horror of what people described in their interviews with the Scoping Inquiry is shocking, and the lasting impact on the lives of those survivors cannot be overstated. I have been deeply moved by the courage, fortitude and openness of all those who have shared their experiences.

The other key recommendations included in the Scoping Inquiry are financial redress for survivors, potentially paid by the religious orders, and the creation of a Survivor Engagement Programme. This program would provide an opportunity for survivors to share their experiences confidentially and in a “wholly non-adversarial environment” outside of participation in the Commission of Investigation.

Now that a Commission of Investigation has been announced, the collection of evidence from witnesses and private proceedings can begin as prescribed by statute.