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BARNARDOS CEO FERGUS Finlay has revealed that he is a survivor of child abuse.
Finlay, a long-standing advocate of the rights of children, said that he had been both sexually and physically abused while a child in the early Sixties.
He was commenting amid ongoing controversy over the Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady’s role in interviewing a victim of paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth during the 1970s.
Speaking on Newstalk’s The Right Hook, Finlay rejected the suggestion that Brady might have been prevented from acting on his knowledge of the abuse allegations because a different culture existed in Ireland when the interview took place.
He said he had been well aware of the nature of the abuse that he suffered on two occasions:
I was sexually abused in 1961 and I was physically abused in 1963. I was 11 and 13 respectively at the time. I knew what it was, I knew it was abuse. When I told my father about it he knew it was abuse, and he knew exactly what action had to be taken.
Finlay continued: “I think it is a complete myth to suggest that everything is excusable on the basis that the culture has somehow changed.”
The former Labour Party activist called on Cardinal Brady to resign his position as leader of the Irish Church, saying he was “incapable of providing solace to people who have been abused [and] incapable of providing leadership to a pastoral flock that wants to come to terms with what has happened.”
In a statement earlier today, Cardinal Brady rejected suggestions that he should resign.
He said he had “no authority” over Fr Smyth at the time of the interview, when he was not in a senior position in the Church. He added he had been just a “notary or note taker” during the interview, saying:
I deeply regret that those with the authority and responsibility to deal appropriately with Brendan Smyth failed to do so.
Anybody affected or distressed by the current focus on child abuse can contact Connect Counselling for free on 1800 477 477 (and from Northern Ireland 00800 477 477 77). Opening hours are from 6 to 10pm Wednesday to Sunday.
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Good to see shops lowering their prices. They make too much of a profit anyway and usually sell items at a massive markup.
@Sam Lean: that’s to pay for rent, staff, utility bills, insurance, the list goes on. Plus if you were to invest your money in opening a shop wouldn’t you want a decent return on your investment and risk. Whatever people are willing to pay that’s what you sell for. How else would you see a scarf in brown Thomas for several hundred euro or a t-shirt for a fiver in penny’s.
@Sam Lean: So why don’t the same rules apply to the likes of petrol stations an power suppliers
Wetherspoons near me – have made the other pubs nearby reduce their prices!
More recently with a lower value sterling,prices should be coming down even more but i wouldn’t be holding my breath.If you still compare pricing in Tesco or other british owned stores,there is a huge disparity on prices especially when currencies are factored in.
So when competing companies sell at a lower price the market reacts and reduces its prices. I think I learned that concept in Bus Org in 1st year at school.
Ya gotta love competition!!
Grafton St and Henry St!! No other shopping areas outside the Pale?
No.
It boggles my mind to see so many people buy the s€€€ that penny’s sell.
Im not a label person but penny’s products are completely substandard.
Sweat shop slavery, made for kids by kids and they pass the slavings on to the customers.
@Trevor Hayden: You’re 100% right. It’s not like people typically shop in Penny’s out of pure neccessity. It’s because people are greedy and want, want, want without a second thought about where their products come from or their ramifications. It’s grotesque. The same people claim people who shop more conscientiously have “notions”. God forbid your ethical clothing costs more than a basic lunch.
@Trevor Hayden: all clothes retailers have sweatshops, people who make clothing for more expensive shops don’t get paid any better
@Rui Firmino: I’m usually 100% in agreement with you except I know for a fact my Lanvin sweaters were made in Italy by workers receiving a fair wage in good condition. Sure, they cost me 4-500€ but the last me years, never change shape, colour or fit and it’s production respected people.
@Titus Groan: Not talking about jigh end clothes, the likes of H&M, Zara, Topman and others pay their workers as bad as Penneys
@Rui Firmino: Yeah, completely true.
It’s called competition but the Grafton days are numbered. The footfall is in decline and the shops are just charging to high prices to pay for the high rents.
20.5% increase in rents predicted for Grafton Street but a 1.5% drop in footfall? Either Savilles are trying to hype up the market (quelle surprise) or some property speculators are just stupid.
So if shops are lowering their prices… does this mean the poor workers making this stuff to satisfy the ridiculous amount of fast fashion consumption who already getting a crap wage are going to be even worse off? Great. I hope this makes everyone feel good.
2 washes and they shrink – built in obsolesce
have your say