Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming today. I know it is really difficult for them to appear before this or, indeed, any committee to talk about how badly they have been repeatedly treated.

Many questions have already been asked about the counselling and that type of thing. Ms Harrison spoke about the lack of trust she has. Ms Mac Manus, and Ms Coughlan as well, mentioned the lies that were written. We have all these records now which we cannot trust. Hopefully, the groups represented here can advocate, rewrite this and talk about the truth that happened to them and not a nun's truth that was convenient to these institutions at the time. They got what they wanted, put the people here on the conveyer belt and it was boxed off. Clearly that was done.

I am only asking for the witnesses' opinions on this because I feel absolutely useless. I feel completely at a loss because of the lies that were written about the witnesses and the others in this situation and how badly they have all been treated. How can we as a committee advocate for the witnesses, for people like them, for people who do not have the skills and for people who are not here, like the babies who are not alive? How can we do our very best, in the witnesses' opinion to get the truth and to help get the truth, because the truth is not written down? The truth is in people like the witnesses. It is not really a question, I am just looking for opinions on that.