• Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration echoes apology to survivors made by Taoiseach on behalf of the Government
• Certificates will confirm in writing that survivors of industrial schools do not have a criminal record

25 February 2026

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has expressed his deep sense of regret for the suffering experienced by those detained in industrial schools, and he has confirmed in the Dáil that survivors of these schools do not have a criminal record.

The Minister was speaking following an apology made by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin today on behalf of the Government.

Minister O’Callaghan said:

“The State did not and does not regard individuals as having committed a criminal offence, and that no criminal record is recorded against them, by virtue of their detention in any industrial school.

“With regard to children who were detained in industrial schools and who were subsequently transferred to a reformatory school solely by virtue of their detention in the industrial school, they are likewise not considered to have had any criminal record.

“No person and, in particular, no agency of the State, should regard these individuals as having committed a criminal offence, or having a criminal record.”

The Minister added that individuals who wish to have further confirmation can be provided with a written certificate.

Individual certificates can be issued to survivors, on a case-by-case basis, including posthumously, following receipt and review of records.  The process for obtaining a certificate will be put in place by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration as soon as possible. In the first instance, survivors of industrial and reformatory schools who wish to obtain their records for the purposes of seeking such a certificate should email survivorsupports@education.gov.ie

The first four of these certificates have been prepared for a group of industrial school survivors, and will be issued by the Minister.

Minister O’Callaghan added,

“I would like to express my sincere sympathies to those who experienced detention in industrial schools, and hope that confirmation that the State does not consider these individuals to have a criminal record is a small but meaningful acknowledgement of the need to repair this harm.”

A copy of the Minister’s statement can be found here.