Survivors want Fianna Fáil apology for Bill Kenneally, Mary Lou McDonald says

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

It is the view of survivors that Fianna Fáil should apologise for the abuse carried out by Bill Kenneally, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said.

The paedophile basketball coach died on Thursday, aged 75, two days after the Minister for Defence told his victims they would receive a state apology.

A Commission of Investigation report published on June 9th found there was a “clear and serious dereliction of duty” by Gardaí, who became aware of abuse by Kenneally in December 1987.

It was not until 2016 that he was jailed and when he died he had served more than 10 years of a 19-year sentence for the indecent assault of 15 boys.

Kenneally came from a prominent Waterford family: his grandfather, uncle and cousin were all Fianna Fáil TDs for the constituency, and another uncle was a prominent cleric in the area.

The fact that they found the resilience and the heart and the courage to continue their journey to hold people to account is just such an incredible tribute to the human spirit

The report found knowledge of his activities became known to two senior Garda officers in Waterford as well as his uncles – retired TD Billy Kenneally Snr and Monsignor John Shine – in the late 1980s.

It also said his cousin, Brendan Kenneally, also a former Fianna Fáil TD, knew in 2001 that Kenneally had seriously sexually abused two boys in the 80s and 90s.

The report found Brendan Kenneally “should never have allowed” Bill Kenneally “to continue to canvas and act as tallyman for him or the Fianna Fáil party”, which he did up until 2011.

Two victims gave evidence of having been canvassed by Bill Kenneally and of the effects that had on them; one said he was afraid to register as a voter in case he came into contact with him.

Brendan Kenneally said in evidence that Bill Kenneally would have been “going with adults” and “talking to adults on a door” while canvassing, and he did not have any fear in relation to adults.

In a statement on Saturday, a Fianna Fáil spokesperson said: “On the day of the publication of the report, a party official spoke to Mr Brendan Kenneally and he resigned his membership of the party.”

Speaking to the Press Association, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she “knows it is the view of survivors and victims” that Fianna Fáil as a party should apologise, but added that “they can articulate that for themselves, but, yes, that has been said very clearly”.

The Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is due to meet survivors next week, and McDonald said she is “glad” the meeting is happening.

She said she hopes “he will work with the victims and survivors to hear them, and to understand fully what that apology needs to contain”.

She said the victims had been through “hell on earth”, adding “the fact that they survived, the fact that they found the resilience and the heart and the courage to continue their journey to hold people to account is just such an incredible tribute to the human spirit”.

“I hope that they get the responses and the answers that they need from government and from others, and it’s for them to specify who they are,” she said.

Last week, Mr Martin said the report had not implicated Fianna Fáil as an organisation “at all”, but said individuals were “wrong” in how they addressed the matter.

He added that there was “no evidence whatsoever” of any conspiracy or “attempt to cover up”.

Bill Kenneally’s actions were “reprehensible and horrific”, he claimed, but said the report “makes the point that the Fianna Fáil party was not advised even locally or in any shape or form by any individual.

“The two former public representatives involved did wrong in the manner in which they addressed the issue, no question about that.”

He said a state apology had come about because “state agencies effectively failed the victims in terms of not dealing with this robustly and properly at the time”.

On Friday, government chief whip Mary Butler, Fianna Fáil TD for Waterford, was asked if Fianna Fáil would issue an apology and she said the party “is not implicated as an organisation”.

Speaking on WLRFM’s Déise Today programme, she stopped short of saying Fianna Fáil should apologise, but did apologise herself “if there’s anything I have ever done that caused trauma, distress, or hurt” to his victims.

Fianna Fáil has been contacted for comment.