Michael Ferry, right, being taken into court in Donegal Town in December.
SHOCKING blunders by understaffed health service staff allowed a predatory paedophile to continue working at a school – and more victims were abused.
A report by HSE staff investigated how Michael Ferry continued to work as a caretaker at the Ardscoil Mhuire building in Gaoth Dobhair despite a 2002 conviction for sex attacks on a boy there.
The building – owned by the Colaiste Cholmcille Limited Company – was used for Irish language summer classes for children travelling from all over Ireland. It also housed a pre-school creche at one stage.
The shocking HSE investigation will leave serious question marks hanging over the directors of that college today after it reports repeated warnings to its representatives that Ferry was a convicted paedophile and a danger to children.
Despite this the HSE investigation team found that Ferry continued to work at the school until his arrest on the premises in 2010 after another brave victim came forward.
The report also found that staff at the North Western Health Board which operated in Donegal in 2002 failed to properly investigate Ferry after he pleaded guilty to attacks on the boy.
Instead a case file was closed.
Another warning to the HSE in 2005 also saw no action being taken and no investigation carried out.
In both cases, no social worker checked out Ferry’s employment history to see what other groups of young people he may have been in contact with.
This was despite the fact it was well-known locally that he taught at the local secondary school and volunteered for the Order of Malta. Even family members weren’t told that Ferry was a paedophile.
It wasn’t until 2010 before a proper review of the case took place after new victims came forward.
But by then it was too late for the victims who had suffered years of horrific abuse.
Ferry is serving 14 years of an 18-year sentence after admitting hundreds of attacks on four boys. He was given a second 7 year sentence for attacks on a fifth victim when he pleaded guilty to new charges last December in Donegal Town Circuit Court.
Today’s reports on the affair will cause a new storm.
Sinn Fein Deputy Pearse Doherty says he will now demand that Justice Minister Alan Shatter publish the results of the Garda investigation.
Gardai had investigated college directors who had been contacted by the authorities in 2002, 2005 and 2006 about Ferry’s child sex abuse.
They investigated the possibility that there had been reckless endangerment in the case. However the Director of Public Prosecutions said they had no case to answer and they have always denied any wrongdoing.
Local TD and Minister Dinny McGinley couldn’t be contacted this morning for his view on the scandal in his home parish.
It’s thought he may issue a statement later today.
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