Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the Minister for Education and Skills, his party and the Government voted full confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality. It is clear that they all believe the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, to be a reforming, progressive and just Minister despite the series of debacles over which he has presided. The issues around the administration of justice and An Garda Síochána have not gone away but that is not what I wish the Minister for Education and Skills to address.

I call on the Minister to explain how it is that this reforming Minister for Justice and Equality refuses to acknowledge the survivors of the Bethany Home, those who went through the mother-and-baby homes or those citizens of the State who were illegally adopted. Yesterday, the 222 infants and children who died of neglect at the Bethany Home were, for the first time, officially recognised and mourned at a sobering ceremony in the cemetery at Harold's Cross. The State failed in its duty of care to these children.

In opposition, the Minister's party, the Labour Party, and Fine Gael acknowledged this grave injustice and promised to address it. However, it took a determined campaign on the part of the Bethany survivors to end the appalling indignity of the burial of these children in an unmarked grave. The Minister, the Government and the reforming Minister for Justice and Equality have flatly and coldly refused the Bethany survivors the dignity of recognition, the justice of a State apology or the decency of access to a redress scheme. That is totally unacceptable.

When the Government assumed office amid a fanfare of promises of reform, transparency and a new way of doing politics it had an opportunity to end this injustice. However, this Government, like the last, has turned its back on the Bethany survivors. Will the Government now finally face up to its responsibility to these citizens? Will it make an official State apology to the survivors? Will the Minister ensure that they have access to a State redress scheme?

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