Mr. Carl Buckley:

That is an incredibly difficult question to answer. I would not like to put myself in the position or suggest I speak on behalf of all of those mothers and victims, because clearly I do not and I cannot. What the question demonstrates, however, is the reasons there needs to be a proper and thought-out truth and reconciliation process for what went on in the mother and baby homes. The commission of inquiry was not that and this legislation is not that. It is a piecemeal approach to a tragedy that people need to sit down and deal with properly. That is not being done and all those who have died and those who are still alive are being done a disservice. As much as I can answer the question properly, it does throw up this other issue and shows the importance of that proper process to hear everybody's views and to make decisions taking into account those views. This legislation does not do that and does not go anywhere near far enough. Conversely, the commission of inquiry did not do that either as per the reports of many of those who sought to testify and give evidence. Hence the reason it has been criticised so widely.