The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has become involved in efforts to persuade an abuse victim to give up his hunger-strike protest outside Leinster House, the Dáil heard.
Mr Tom Sweeney, from Tallaght, has been protesting for the past fortnight over his treatment by the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB), after an initial settlement offer of €113,000 was reduced by €40,000 for abuse he suffered while a resident of two industrial schools in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, told the Dáil it was her understanding that Dr Martin, Mr Sweeney and others were in Leinster House on Wednesday night and that "they are making a collective effort to persuade Mr Sweeney to take an alternative course of action".
She was familiar with the "very sad case and we all hope that no tragedy occurs". Ms Harney stressed that every effort was being made by Government representatives, church leaders and opposition party representatives to intervene in this case in a humanitarian way with a view to having Mr Sweeney end his hunger-strike.
In an adjournment debate, the Minister of State for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher, said that, while Government intervention had been sought, it was not open to the Government to intervene in the operations of the RIRB or its review committee, because under the terms of the redress legislation enacted by the Oireachtas, the redress board and the review committee were entirely independent in their operations.
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said yesterday: "Surely some creative formula can be put in place to enable the man to avoid doing himself further and irreparable damage".
The hope had been held out on behalf of the Taoiseach that something was being done to put a formula in place that would permit the man to come off his hunger-strike while his case was dealt with.
Mr Sweeney believed amending legislation had been promised, and the Labour leader asked if the Government was contemplating this. The Tánaiste was not aware that legislation was promised.
The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said Mr Sweeney was not the only person on hunger-strike outside the House.
"It is important we are not here discussing the aftermath of the situation which could be avoided if we were to take creative and appropriate measures," he said.
Mr Sweeney was sent to two residential schools for truancy and has alleged serious physical abuse at the two institutions and seriously sexual abuse at one. He was reportedly initially awarded €113,000 but decided to opt for a full hearing so that he could tell his story. After the hearing, a new offering of €67,000 was made, increased on appeal by €6,000.
