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Haughey believed Jimmy Savile would be a good mediator for Thatcher dealings

A letter in the National Archives reveals details of a meeting between the pair at the Central Remedial Clinic in the 1980s.

Updated at 8.36pm

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Images: PA/PA Wire/Press Association Images

CHARLES HAUGHEY BELIEVED BBC presenter Jimmy Savile would make a good mediator for meetings between the British and Irish governments.

Following a meeting in 1980 at the Central Remedial Clinic, founder Lady Valerie Goulding, wrote to the Taoiseach to thank him for seeing Savile, one of the charity’s most important patrons.

The document, released under the 30 Year Rule today, repeats a suggestion by the Fianna Fáil leader that the Top of the Pops front man “could be a good mediator as he really is very well in with Mrs. Thatcher and members of the Opposition as well”.

Haughey and Savile sat down for tea at the CRC on 26 May 1980. The DJ became a regular visitor at Abbeville when he visited Dublin to organise sponsored walks as part of his charity work for the CRC.

It was another two decades before allegations of paedophilia emerged publicly about Savile. The CRC has issued statements to stress that he never had private access to patients during his visits to the treatment centre for those with disabilities.

Since ITV aired a documentary last year, police in London have launched Operation Yewtree to investigate allegations of sex abuse within the BBC. The probe is split into three strands – allegations involving Savile, those involving Savile and others and those involving others.

More than 600 people have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Savile alone, making him one of the most prolific sex offenders the UK has ever seen.

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Larger version here. (Image: Sinéad O’Carroll/TheJournal.ie)

The CRC has been at the centre of its own controversy this year as it became embroiled in the salary top-ups scandal.

Under Section 38 of the Health Act 2004, which includes both health agencies and voluntary hospitals, bodies may not supplement approved rates of remuneration with either Exchequer funding or non-government sources of funding.

A internal audit, ordered last year, found that just seven of the 42 organisations in the State that fall into the category were fully compliant with guidelines on pay.

Reportedly, one former CEO received more than €135,000 in ‘top-up’ salary and allowances from the CRC’s own funds. His base HSE salary was €106,000.

For further study, see National Archives Ref 2013/100/768

Originally posted at 7am

Reilly emphatically rejects claims HSE knew about CRC top-ups

The 1998 letter that warned police about Jimmy Savile

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    Mute Nell foran
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    Jun 1st 2020, 7:46 AM

    Great initiative by the teachers and school
    Well done.
    I hope all those who have been bashing teachers over the last while read this

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    Mute D
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    Jun 1st 2020, 10:59 AM

    @Nell foran: one school doing something good doesn’t take away from the fact that many others didn’t bother with their students once the schools were shut. If it was a negative article you wouldn’t say you hope people praising schools take it into account because all schools are separate and can’t be put in the same bucket. Some schools and teachers have been amazing but a lot haven’t and it’s a disgrace and needs to be addressed.

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    Mute Huey
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    Jun 1st 2020, 11:28 AM

    @D: agreed, I know some teachers have put in a great effort, but many haven’t bothered and left their students in limbo.

    Their performance during this should be reviewed.

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    Mute Jim Casey
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    Jun 1st 2020, 11:43 AM

    @D: just like all students and people in general

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    Mute Jim Casey
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    Jun 1st 2020, 11:45 AM

    @Huey: same as students some headed for the hills at lockdown and never bothered. Look you can say that about anything. It’s so easy to write shit when you don’t actually understand. Poor broadband might have caused lots of bother too. But yeah we go with your negative outlook

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    Mute D
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    Jun 1st 2020, 11:55 AM

    @Jim Casey: you cannot compare students and teachers like that. There’s always going to be students who don’t bother and don’t care, that’s going to happen no matter what but it’s a teachers job to educate their students. No one expected life to be like this but the rest of us that are still fortunate to be able to work are continuing to do so from home. If someone in another sector decided they weren’t bothered working while still getting full pay, there would be consequences

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    Mute Huey
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    Jun 1st 2020, 12:33 PM

    @Jim Casey: I do understand Jim.
    I’ve seen the difference in teachers performance through various families and friends and the level of engagement from their schools as will alot of parents reading will attest.

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    Mute Tazamania
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    Jun 1st 2020, 8:18 AM

    My son’s school complied an amazing online graduation as well, with videos from well known public figures. It was emotional for the whole family, the culmination of 6 years of education delivered remotely. Hats off to the teachers and the graduation class of 2020.

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Jun 1st 2020, 8:13 AM

    Fair play . Lovely idea

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    Mute Motherofthree
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    Jun 1st 2020, 9:00 AM

    Well done to them. Fair play to the school and teachers. Brilliant job

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Jun 1st 2020, 8:54 AM

    Such an awful year for so many kids. They’ve missed out on rites of passage moments. No end end of school celebration, grads/debs cancelled, no leaving cert, transition to college will likely be simply a move from one online platform to a different one. They’ve been locked up with no structure in terms of school, sport, dance, drama, choir etc. They’ve been labelled superspreaders and vectors of the virus, banned from supermarkets. They’ve no chance of a job for the summer, no holidays. I’ve a 17 year old and the impact this is having on him is heartbreaking.

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    Mute Tim
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    Jun 1st 2020, 10:46 AM

    @Anne Marie Devlin: Most of the kids you talk about are adults

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    Mute Jeni Moriarty
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    Jun 1st 2020, 12:27 PM

    Balling reading this. It’s not fair on them. But thanks so so much for the efforts the teachers are going to. Not just here, across the country.

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Jun 1st 2020, 4:23 PM

    Well done Old Bawn, leading the way in student care

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    Mute Mia Morrissey
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    Jun 1st 2020, 7:57 PM

    Well done teachers , that’s really thoughtful

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    Mute Colin McCarthy
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    Jun 1st 2020, 1:23 PM

    While the teenagers caused havoc around the country even attacking Garda in salthill.

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    Mute Tony Lyons
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    Jun 1st 2020, 3:39 PM

    @Colin McCarthy: a very small number of teenagers causing havoc you can’t tar them all with the same brush

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    Mute Sharon O'Doherty
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    Jun 2nd 2020, 8:00 PM

    D,
    Support that statement about some schools and teachers abandoning their students. With refrences and sources supplied please.

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