A DUBLIN man whose brother was abused in Artane industrial school will begin a hunger strike within the month in protest against the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which he says has "completely failed" to get justice for his family.

Kevin Flanagan told the Sunday Tribune that he believes that the commission has been "a total waste of time". He has called for a public inquiry into the case.

"We were waiting for this hearing for six years, waiting for justice for six years, " he said. "We weren't even told when it started, we had to hear about it on the news.

And then we got no answers to any of our questions. It's a waste of taxpayers' money.

It is achieving absolutely nothing."

Flanagan's brother, Michael, attended Artane school when he was 14 years old.

On 14 April, 1954, he became involved in what was later described as "some boyish altercation" with a classmate.

Michael protested against his punishment, which was to be hit on the hand with the thin edge of a leather strap. He ran into a corner, picked up a brush, and held it up as protection. A Christian Brother took the brush from Michael, hit him on the head, the face and the back. He broke Michael's arm in several places.

"The Brother got on the stand, and said that what happened was a mishap, " said Flanagan. "He said he struggled to get the brush from Michael, slipped and hit him and broke his arm by accident. And he wasn't cross-examined or questioned about this at all."

Michael was locked in a shed for two days after the incident, according to his brother. His mother went to the school to see him, but was refused access to her son in what was later described as "some misunderstanding." It was eight days after he was attacked that Michael finally was allowed see his mother.

"At the first hearing, we wanted a few basic questions to be asked, " said Flanagan. "We wanted to know why my brother was locked in a shed, why my mother was refused entry to the school, and why it took eight days for her to get access to Michael. These questions were not asked, so we made a specific request for them to be brought up at the second hearing. And again, they were not asked. And now the hearings are over, and we will never get any answers."

Flanagan said that he and his family are determined to get a public inquiry into his brother's case, and it is with this cause in mind that he will begin a hunger strike in the coming weeks. "We have nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of, " he said.

"We just want somebody to be held accountable, somebody to take responsibility for what happened to my brother.

He's dead now, and he can't fight for himself. But my family have been dealing with this for too long to let it go now. Saying that what happened was 'a mishap' is just an insult. We will not allow this case to just be swept under the carpet."