Irish government to apologise to victims of Bill Kenneally

He had no further contact from gardaí until 2012 when a complaint was made by one of his victims, Jason Clancy, and a full investigation finally began.

Kenneally groomed children using trust, affection and fear, threatening them, plying them with alcohol and offering them money.

He restrained them, tortured and abused them and photographed many of them with a Polaroid camera, using the photographs as “effective blackmail” to preserve the boys’ silence, according to the chairperson of the Commission of Investigation.

The commission also criticised the failure of Kenneally’s cousin, former Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally, to contact child protection agencies after he was made aware of the abuse in 2001.

Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, Clancy, who made the first formal complaint and fought for the Commission of Investigation to be set up, said the apology “adds closure” for victims after a “hard battle”.

He said the state apology will be accepted.

Clancy said an apology from Fianna Fáil itself “would be nice” but if it has to be “dragged out” it is “not an apology”.

He said Fianna Fail power was used to keep the abuse “covered up”.