Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Katherine Zappone posed the question of whether we are open, respectful and tolerant about marriage equality. As a society, we need to apply the question more broadly and I fear that the answer maybe "No". I was deeply touched by the seven-year-old Roma girl who has reportedly dyed her hair black not to look prettier but to fit in. Why did she do that? Even at the tender age of seven years, she figured out that she would be safe by doing so and would look like the rest of her family and not be in danger of being taken again. The issue raises many questions. The Ombudsman for Children has declared the Athlone case to be an example of racial profiling. It raises questions about the type of society we are, how tolerant we are, how respectful we are and whether we respect difference. I ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to come to the House before the summer to examine a number of matters. These include the changes to policing, changes to GSOC and to discuss the report by the Ombudsman for Children. This will happen again and there will be other child cases. What new protocols will be in place? How will it be handled in the future? We need the Garda Síochána to take situations seriously but we must always be innocent until proven guilty. Are there better ways of handling things? Should a social worker have handled it alone? We must be careful. We value the family in our Constitution. Everything that could go wrong went wrong in these two cases. Considering the breadth of the role that the former Leader of the Opposition in this House, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, holds as Minister for Justice and Equality, it would be useful if we could have the debate before the summer recess.