Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for their powerful testimonies. It is quite humbling to hear them.

Much has been asked and answered today but I refer to what the Department of Education and Skills said about this legislation. It said its aim is to strike a balance between those who gave evidence to the commission and redress bodies against the need to ensure that as a society we never forget the harm that was done to children and the need to ensure that the protection of children is always to the forefront of our minds. I reiterate what Ms Mary Harney said this morning: "If this Bill passes, it will make survivors of the industrial schools invisible once more." I believe Ms Harney. It is quite stunning. I was struck by the comment about power and accountability. She is absolutely right. It is important to make the point that this is still going on. It is not as if the State has held its hands up and said what happened then was awful. It is still not holding its hands up.

We need a Bill. Ms Crowe put it very well when she said we need the records of religious congregations who ran the institutions to be brought under the aegis of the State, either through the National Archives Act or through the establishment of a State-run religious records repository. Why are we not doing that? I am not being flippant in asking that question. We know from the testimony this morning that we should be doing more for the survivors, yet the Department of Education and Skills has produced a Bill which, effectively, will silence them once more. My question is for all the witnesses, but I will start with Ms Crowe. Why does she think the State has not sought to open access to the religious records, given all that has happened to date? Why have successive Governments not acted on that issue?