Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's question is serious. Why did the State deny its responsibility in respect of Magdalen laundries, Bethany Home and mother and baby homes and why did it not do something about symphysiotomy before this? This is a list of sensitive personal serious issues which have been left lying around in the country for up to 60 or 70 years. They are being dealt with now. I am not quite sure whether the Deputy is proposing in respect of these women who underwent symphysiotomy that they should now be subjected to court appearances in a very aggressive confrontational manner. The State has looked at this, following the reports published, and has put forward a suggestion and proposition to deal with the challenges and difficulties, personal and serious, which the women went through during these symphysiotomy interventions. It is the case of a range of serious social and personal issues left lying around for years which are now being dealt with by the State. It is a matter for the group and individuals which course they wish to pursue. Nobody wants to see long drawn-out controversial, antagonistic or aggressive court hearings about something like this. Here is an opportunity, no more than the avoidance of all these difficulties in court sessions with the Magdalen women, of arriving at a conclusion, recognition of the situation and a recompense of some scale for those women who were subjected to what I have described as barbaric treatment. The Minister for Justice and Equality was in Geneva at the UN Human Rights Committee, of which Ireland is a member, outlining for it the actions which have been taken by the Government to deal with issues which have been swept under the carpet and left lying there for decades.

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