Survivors of school sexual abuse will get a State apology, Norma Foley has promised. 

Earlier this month, a scoping inquiry into the issue revealed that 308 schools run by religious orders had received close to 2,400 allegations of abuse. 

A full statutory inquiry is now due to take place and the Education Minister said the revelations had left her “heartbroken”. 

“I cannot envisage any circumstance where at some point there will not be an apology,” she said. 

“I personally am heartbroken and heart scalded to think that this was the experience of so, so many people as they went through the education system.” 

Minister Foley said the inquiry would be treated as a "watershed moment" by the Government. 

"There are no words to articulate the awfulness of what's recorded in those 700 pages," she said.

"Equally, I'm conscious that's for someone who is reading it and digesting it and I'm very conscious of what it must be like for those who live with the reality of that experience every single day."

Redress for victims

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said the issue of redress for victims cannot be “parked” until the statutory inquiry completes its work. 

It is understood that the Government will expect religious orders to make a “substantial contribution” towards any such scheme.

Anyone who has been impacted by abuse can contact the charity One in Four on 01 66 24070 for information on their counselling services.

Main image: Norma Foley. Picture by: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

Reporting by Stephanie Rohan and James Wilson