Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Andrew Madden is a clerical abuse victim, who has campaigned for justice since the 1990s. He collaborated with Mary Raftery on the 2002 documentary Cardinal Secrets, which exposed cover-ups of abuse in Dublin.
It emerged this morning that Raftery had passed away at the age of 54. Here, Madden speaks to TheJournal.ie about his memories of her.
I WAS VERY saddened and shocked by Mary’s death. I’d known she was unwell for some time, but I’d hoped she was making a recovery.
Mary approached me in 2002. She would have been aware of my own case; that I had been campaigning, and that I had asked the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 1998 to set up a review of the Catholic Church’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse, and he had declined. But during that time she had been carrying out her own investigations, and she had learned a lot more about what the diocese knew.
By the late 90s you had the Ivan Payne case, and you had Brendan Smyth convicted. And Mary Raftery understood what I was asking at that time: How many other Ivan Paynes and Brendan Smyths had the Church covered up, and where were they now? Nobody else seemed interested enough in that question. But that is what her investigation revealed – the extent to which the Church had covered up, and the extent to which priests had gone on to abuse more children. Within days of that Cardinal Secrets programme, the then justice minister Michael McDowell agreed that an inquiry would be set up. It became the Murphy Commission, and it produced the Murphy report. So good was that programme, that it made a lot of people very, very angry.
What you’ve seen in the Ryan report, in the Ferns report, in the Murphy report and in the Cloyne report, is that very few of the priests were ever convicted. And none of the bishops ever saw the inside of a courtroom, despite their acts of concealment having led to the abuse of more children. So for many of the victims, the only justice they ever received was the placing on the public record of their experiences. Thanks to Mary, the Murphy report and the Ryan report are now on the public record of this country, and will continue to inform us for many years.
Mary had a desire to do something about injustice. She was a fantastic investigative journalist, so she had an instinctive desire to uncover the truth – particularly when other people didn’t want her to. And to shine a light when it wasn’t wanted. People like myself – we had something to say at that time, but we needed the help of other people.
When I was speaking in the mid-90s, Catholic bishops were telling lies. Catholic priests had nothing to say. The people going to Mass on a Sunday morning had nothing to say. And the Government wanted to turn a blind eye, because the Catholic vote was more important than the welfare of a child. So the only people who were of any assistance were the media, key people like Mary Raftery. I’m very grateful to her for all the work she’s done over the years.
On a personal level, I found her very warm, very easy to talk to. I met her from time to time for lunch or for coffee, and just to have a chat about what was going on for her, and for me. And I always found her a real pleasure to meet. She’ll be greatly missed.
But in terms of abuse victims, I think even people who didn’t work with her will have known that she played a huge part in helping to expose the truth about what happened to them. So like me, I’m sure people will be forever grateful to her, for her diligence and determination. A huge gap has been left in the field of investigative journalism in this country.
As told to Michael Freeman. Andrew Madden is the author of Altar Boy: A Story of Life after Abuse, and writes a blog which can be found here.
Byline photo: Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Yeah its not the billions spent on weapons its the few million they arnt getting in tax…
What are we getting in return for the 9 billion saving?
employment
Yeah, but how many billions worth of employment do we get from them each year?
In return we are getting 4000 jobs in Cork.
The US spent $1.45 trillion on defence in 2010.
@Luke, it only benefits your local area and not the country as a whole. We are being hammered through austerity and these companies are not contributing enough. In fact they make it their business not to.
@seamus. The entire County benefits. It’s 4000 less on the file and it 4000 more paying income tax, prsi, usc etc to the exchequer so I disagree that it only benefits a local economy. If we went changing our system, they could lift shop and relocate. Dont be fooled, apple are not here just for our educated workforce.
*dole
fighter jets. ..idle on runways…major BS.
Drop the green jersey routine, it’s just silly. The Irish tax situation is getting pretty indefensible, both morally and pragmatically. We need to find an alternative and fast. There are too many “R&D” companies based here that employ zero engineers and scientists, just accountants.
@Cholly Agreed, only benefits Cork and no where else in monetary terms. Agreed, Apple are not here four our educated workforce.
Its $1.4 trillion on offense, not defense. When has anyone tried to invade the states.
Imagine the naughty companies, making it their business to pay less tax instead of falling over each other to give more money to government to squander! They should all be nationalized and work for common good like was the case in Soviet Union!
Seamus do you not understand what tax is? 4000 workers in apple will not be paying tax to cork city council, we’re not a sovereign sate even if we think we are ;)…tax paid by a worker in cork could be spent on social welfare in Galway!?
The US invests more in Ireland than they invest in china, india, brazil or russia combined. Amazing but true
Raymond, according to a good friend in Texas there is some truth in that. Parts of the USAF have been grounded and a substantial part of their Air Force Museum is being closed down. That’s the tip of the iceberg it seems. Although the savings from these items is not large, (by USA standards), Obama is making a point. “Sequester” is the relevant word, I believe. Probably worth a Googlee search.
Lads. Its simple, If we didn’t have an attractive tax system for over sea company’s they would just go to another country that did. EBay,Facebook, bluenile and Apple are just a few big names that are here employing thousands of workers and paying 12% cooperate tax. Other country’s are just jealous off us because of this. If we increase the 12% tax rate all these firms will just up and go and we will have nothing then.
Tora Tora Tora.
Well the issue is Paula it’s emerged that they’re not even paying 12.5% tax, more like 2%. Not that I have an issue with it; just saying!
In fairness, perhaps there’s a correlation between defense spending and your point?.
It’s not about the 12% – that is fair and transparent. We’ve always been able to defend this since native companies in many other counties (cough, France) have all kinds of loopholes available to them that result in a much lower effective rate than published. It’s about shenanigans resulting in a near zero effective rate. We can’t defend that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQryLd2MYaE&feature=share
If we look at the EU officials who work for the European Commission and the European Parliament, the highest category [the most common grade is AD12] are people that earn a net take home pay of just over 100 thousand pounds a year. And yet under EU rules they pay tax of 12 per cent.
there is NO employment in the Apple outfit that ‘owns’ their intellectual property. There is employment in the Apple outfit that makes stuff and they only pay 12.5% corporation tax on the profits. They are here for that, the intellectual property thing is icing.
”We are being hammered through austerity and these companies are not contributing enough. In fact they make it their business not to.”
How did u get red thimbs for that – these tax dodging corporations are playing country against country – and go where they are assured they will get good grants – and pay little or no tax . As was said on C4 news last nite – if all countries stood togeter – instead of taking part in the Race to the bottom – it would be a different story .
Next these companies want unions abolished .
Its divide and conquer again . They are balckmailing us and othet countries— and are getting away with it . Even the Independet Newspaper this morning was critical of Ireland s role in tax dodging – and Cameron has been forced to tak e action – tho that acation is IMO – just PR .
Did you know that Cork is in fact part of Ireland Seamus? 4,000 employees enjoy monetary gain and that gain goes back in to the economy.
There not actually paying the 12%. Apple are paying about .05% and Google about .33%!!! And I’m pretty sure eBay are around the same.
@paula mcguinness your missing the point. The companies will still be here because the corporate tax rates……..it’s a myth they will up an go. This topic has got nothing to do with that The issue is the “invisible” or fake mini companies they set up, it has no employes no real business they wash profits through these and pay no tax on them and then send the money to the Caribbean. This link help you understand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUxGWc-jUC4
I’d say US drones are depriving kids in the middle-east of far more than education
Where exactly in the Middle East are US drones killing kids?
Any of these silent red-thumb heroes care to respond?
Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan. Normally categorised as ‘collateral damage’ or ‘suspected militants’.
Dom have you been living under a rock recently?
Or specifically in Iraq, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2315932/RAFs-role-US-drone-attacks-killed-hundreds-Iraqis-MoD-admits-time-Britain-helped-pilot-aircraft-American-bases.html
Not such a hot-shot now Dom,have some candy and soda pop
Any of these silent Dom’s care to respond?
I have been living in the Middle East, perhaps you John have been living under a rock.
Now, Iraq missions stopped quite a while ago and for K. Lawlor info Pakistan and Afghanistan are not in the Middle East. Yemen has no confirmed civilian drone deaths so as usual the US haters are ill informed and overblow the issue.
I have been living in the Middle East, that is why I ask. Perhaps you John have been living under a rock.
Now, Iraq missions are over for a while, for K. Lawlor info PAkistan and Afghanistan are not in the Middle East and Yemen has no confirmed civilian drone deaths.
So as usual, the US haters are ill informed and exaggerate.
First of all I am not a US Hater. Far from it! However, that doesn’t mean I have to agree with all of its foreign policies.
As the Middle East is a vague unofficial geographic area it is open to debate whether these countries are consider part of it or not.
However, in the context of the ‘War on Terror’ they are considered part of the Middle East.
Also, you say the are no confirmed drone strike deaths in Yemen. Perhaps none are officially confirmed by the US but there are many witness reports of drones killing civilians in Yemen.
Middle East is not at all a vague ad unofficial geographic area. Particularly, the state dept has a definition since 1958 which does not include Pakistan and Afghanistan.
If it wasn’t Ireland it would be somewhere else. Someone doesn’t have the first iota of how companies work their tax affairs.
The big boss has spoken.
Enda will change it all now.
Yes senator McCann the system you have presided over for decades is flawed. I wonder who is to blame…
It is only a matter of time before America turns on ireland and US companies will get out once the haven is gone.
I don’t think so, the US prides itself on the free market and Ireland are fairly playing the best cards we have. But it’s counterproductive if we don’t get a fair trade of jobs or whatever off of these large corporations.
Ha Declan it hasn’t been a free market since the 50s
That’s just a bare faced lies. GM is a perfect example
So all of the Intellectual Property is stored here in Ireland. I wonder if Alan Shatter has had a good ould nose?
did you know Irish companies directly employ more Americans in US, than American companies employ Irish in Ireland.
Of course, this its based on demand in US for Irish products.
If US is serious about tackling tax avoidance they should stay with Bermuda which is under their direct influence as part of US, that is where majority of companies are funnelling their tax through via Ireland to avoid paying tax.
easy to blame Ireland though rather than highlight it is part of US that is root cause of problem
Bermuda is not part of the US, it is a British Overseas Territory.
Don’t blame the players, blame the game!
@Andrew I agree.
Well US senate it maybe a tax haven but the irish people are suffering more than the US becuase of idiots in goverment.
And on it goes the rich get richer at the expense of the poor and our state is a part of this
Sure is Chris.
Surely if we are helping to keep fighter jets on runways that’s a good thing! Why the sudden interest in Apple – doesn’t every large corporation invest heavily in tax avoidance schemes? Close loopholes – is that even possible?? I mean who’s next …. Starbucks! Oh catastrophe !
Simple. Anything that has ‘Apple’ in the name is guaranteed exposure. If you can knock it somehow, so much the better for your public … I have never seen a single company receive so much continued vitriol and attacks for no specific reason — not even Monsanto gets this venom.
The companies are doing what the taxation systems allow. Simple as.
I’m sure the hundreds of billions spent on unjustified and immoral wars contribute more, to children not having an education, than a couple of billion that Apple didn’t pay in taxes! This smells like the US trying to piggyback on what the UK is doing. Wonder why they are only targeting Apple, surely the other big multinationals are doing the exact same thing? Surely the US government understands the mechanics of the global market place and all the ways tax loopholes can be used. I’m pretty sure some of the most senior government officials and millionaires / billionaires there have cash and assets in offshore tax haven accounts, why not go after them as well? … Pot, kettle, and black come to mind!
Totally agree. ..
I thought there were huge benefits to being a tax haven…where the feck are they for Ireland ? Or are all the benefits being placed in brown envelopes for an elite few politicians ?
There are huge benifiets for the Rich . The rest – u and me ?? – dont count . the economy may improve – but there is a huge disconncet bewteen the economy – which is run by the rich for the rich – and any improvement we might see .
Fact is we wont see any improvemnets – take the US itself– workers pay is static – and has been for past 30 years . The rich say the benifiets will tricklre down – but we heard that from Reagaan 30 years ago – and what is trickling down is not money . There is no free market for the Rich – they gett susidies and dodge taxes and get away with it .-.
The Free market that exists for the Plebs
Close the loopholes may as well apply here in this country….
And no more cooking books, pay fairly and squarely to the exchequer instead of shifting money around….
And we dont have an Apple store here because they will have to pay more tax.. Only one in Belfast.
@ Ciara, I think there is one in Dublin off Grafton Street.
Nope. It’s a comp-b authorized retailer
@Michael, Thanks, I stand corrected. What is a comp b authorized dealer.??
Sorry it’s actually comp-b. And I’m not sure exactly but if you go in it’s basically a bootleg apple store. They sale the products but I don’t recall them having a genius bar etc.
compu-b*
Compu-b are just licensed to sell the products, they don’t provide service.
However in Dublin there is Evad IT Solutions on the quays that provide service for all Apple devices except iPhones, and there are a number other Apple Authorised Service Providers around Ireland too.
For iPhone repairs, you can call AppleCare, or if someone is going to Belfast they can bring it to the store for you.
Don’t hate the playa’, just hate the game.
Anyone for a survey of the number of US legislators with offshore accounts going?
Transferred how much did the people of Ireland recieve, they bounce the money around from country to country so much paperwork that nobody can figure it out. As for those poor starving Americans what about us we need these companies to keep this country afloat. Sweet jesus we’d have another famine on our hands if the politicians of this country don’t grow a pair, what’s next Lisbon Treaty 3, or the EU will screw us even more? May God forgive me I never thought I’d utter these words but I agree with the English leave the EU, they will be the ruin of this country.
Nonsense. The point is they pay hardly any tax. What’s wrong with 12%?
Close the loopholes they say, who was lobbied to open them up in the first place?
Education, education, will somebody please think of the children, politicians love that, we’ll perhaps if they addressed the massive MASSIVE disparity in income levels in this so called free market they would easily address this, or they could stop spending so much on weapon, currently US outspends the next 20 top countries defense spending.
Or they could throw out congress and set up a new public body which represents and has their best interests in the centre of all decisions (unlikely)
Ireland beginning to find its role in the world order. a small player being bullied and squeezed on both sides. Now is a good a time as ever to try and leave the E.U.
Can they really blame anyone but the US government for an elitist and expensive education system? This study was compiled by harvard university, I wonder what percentage of the American population can afford to study there? And what efforts are made to make 3rd level more accessible. Easier to point the figure and attempt to deflect attention I suppose!
Hypocrisy and hyperbole from a country that not only penalises its own corporations fiscally but engages in trying to bully foreign jurisdictions into complying with American laws. … that idiot senator is obviously engaging in drama and teatrics for a domestic audience while ignoring the real problem of cleaning up the IRS AND the us tax code
Marc, indeed he is……..that’s what politicians do. Whatever happens they are financially secure.
Why should governments be allowed to grab everything they can from companys or individuals that have taken the risk and had the balls to create the wealth in the first place,just look at the thousands of jobs apple have created in Cork,and where for every job Apple has created,another 3 jobs are added down the line in support industries,it all adds up to massive employment and tax revenue for the Irish government,this is the reason the US sees Ireland as a problem,because in attracting all those companys,the US are loosing a lot of jobs and tax revenue.
Well then lower your corporate tax rate and they’ll come back, America.
Land of the “free”.
Dear US
How about not spending billions on NASA projects like taking pictures of stars and planets. What do I care if Uranus has 5 or 6 moons? How is that going to help me? Or how about not getting involved in someone else’s war or invading other countries. Instead you could use the money for more useful things like kids that guns are dangerous and they kill, or teach them that they don’t have to eat till they can’t see their willy. No need to store fat for winter months…there’s food even in december.
“How about not spending billions on NASA projects like taking pictures of stars and planets.”
Not exactly an intellectual giant are you?
Yeah you’re right, not an intelectual giant here but please humour me and tell me why spending billions on taking pictures of the univers is so important? Let’s see your intelligence shining now
What the last senator quoted said is hilarious. Fishing for an iPhone 6 then? :-P
If I could I would avoid paying taxes as well not because of greed but because they just waste the money on shite
…and once they waste all they can get, they want to get more to waste.
I think it’s the trillions spent on military budgets by the US is doing that.
lolz
Absolute and utter shite.
Apple could hand over every cent they own to the yanks and they would still leave children without education because of their dysfunctional far right political system. Perhaps if they didn’t spend five times more on their military than China does they might be able to afford to send a few more children to school.
Wealthy US citizens pay very little tax and this has been well defended by those on Capitol Hill. Perhaps they can start there for paying for education.
The position of Apple and other companies/banks/ financial entities is morally indefensible in this regard. Their massive tax-avoidance affects all citizens in many countries including here. It affects things like child-care, care for the elderly, health care, dental care, education, public facilities such as libraries, parks, the list goes on.
I find it interesting how personally many of you seem to be taking this. But I guess clever remarks about the wars and defense spending are just about as formulaic as the Senatorial response to these claims of tax evasion. Senators get up there and blather on about how shipping US jobs etc. away from their shores is Un-American, argue about the corporate tax rate in US for a bit, and move one without anything changing.
Americans are really good in scaring the hell out of their public…. what abojt the money being spent on wars???
Your government is keeping children out of education! Kenny and co will just ride this one out and say nothing, bit like when you break something belonging to your ma and hide it
$9Bn is a drop in the sea, since US is spending over $682Bn (2011) on Army.
Because EU doesn’t pay its share any more. Be careful what you wish for.
I had to stop reading and start laughing at “leaving fighter jets lying idle on the runway”. Damn you Apple. .. damn you!!
have your say