- Volume 1
- Volume 2
-
Volume 3
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Social and demographic profile of witnesses
- Circumstances of admission
- Family contact
- Everyday life experiences (male witnesses)
- Record of abuse (male witnesses)
- Everyday life experiences (female witnesses)
- Record of abuse (female witnesses)
- Positive memories and experiences
- Current circumstances
- Introduction to Part 2
- Special needs schools and residential services
- Children’s Homes
- Foster care
- Hospitals
- Primary and second-level schools
- Residential Laundries, Novitiates, Hostels and other settings
- Concluding comments
- Volume 4
Chapter 3 — Social and demographic profile of witnesses
BackPlace of birth
A small number of witnesses were of Irish Traveller or mixed-race backgrounds and to maintain anonymity no further information can be provided.
Current country of residence
As previously stated and show in the following table, many witnesses who gave evidence to the Committee were residing outside Ireland at the time of their hearing:
| Country of residence | Males | % | Females | % | Total witnesses | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 279 | 68 | 182 | 48 | 461 | 58 |
| UK | 118 | 29 | 172 | 46 | 290 | 37 |
| USA/Canada | 8 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 21 | 3 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 2 |
| Mainland Europe | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 413 | (100)* | 378 | 100 | 791 | (100)* |
As indicated, there was a significant difference between the numbers of male and female witnesses living in Ireland and in the UK. Sixty eight percent (68%) of male witnesses were living in Ireland at the time of their hearing compared with 48% of female witnesses. Most of the witnesses living in the UK reported being there since they were discharged from the Schools or shortly thereafter. Many commented on the considerable help and assistance they received, both at a personal and professional level, from health and welfare services in the UK.
Age at time of hearing
At the time of their hearings 656 of the 791 witnesses (83%) were over 49 years of age, with 57 of those witnesses aged over 70 years. See Table 10 for more complete details:
| Age range | Males | % | Females | % | Total witnesses | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 – 39 years | 12 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 2 |
| 40 – 49 years | 54 | 13 | 63 | 17 | 117 | 15 |
| 50 – 59 years | 186 | 45 | 193 | 51 | 379 | 48 |
| 60 – 69 years | 119 | 29 | 101 | 27 | 220 | 28 |
| 70 + years | 42 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 57 | 7 |
| Total | 413 | 100 | 378 | (100)* | 791 | 100 |
As the table demonstrates, 76% of the total number of witnesses who gave evidence in relation to Schools were aged between 50 and 70 years at the time of the hearing. There were some differences between the ages of the male and female witnesses, with 74% of male witnesses aged between 50 and 70 compared with 78% of female witnesses. In addition, 6% more male witnesses were aged over 70 years.
Chapter 4 provides information on the reported circumstances that led to these witnesses being placed in out-of-home care as children.
Footnotes
- See chapters 12-18.
- Of note is the fact that witness reports from ‘Other Institutions’ referred to discharges up to the year 2000.
- This percentage is based on a total of 791 witnesses who reported abuse in Industrial and Reformatory Schools.
- The categorisation is based on Census 2002, Volume 6 Occupations, Appendix 2, Definitions – Labour Force. In two-parent households the father’s occupation was recorded and in other instances the occupational status of the sole parent was recorded, insofar as it was known.