Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

My amendment provides for the adequacy or otherwise of the manner in which responsibilities were discharged by persons in authority, including judges. The decision-making process that put so many of these young people into institutions must be part of the commission's work. The judicial process was a central part where decisions were made to incarcerate children for what were in some cases not even offences and in others minor offences. It is appropriate that this aspect, core to the decision to put the children away, in many cases for years, is incorporated into the examinations taking place under the auspices of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. I hope the Minister for Education and Science will accept this amendment.

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