Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

It is more than that. By drawing the line in 1975 the Minister is effectively giving an amnesty in terms of any offence committed prior to that time. In other words, he is drawing the line at a time when, according to the Ferns Report, considerable child sexual abuse was taking place in that diocese. It is wrong to draw the line in that arbitrary fashion and simply say it would be difficult to proceed beyond that. We know that a great deal of abuse took place in the 1930s, the 1940s, the 1950s, the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. What the Minister is doing is unfair. He should remember that he is not covering everything. He is covering only representative samples. The totality of what took place in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin could be captured if this arbitrary line were not drawn. The Minister should revisit this provision. Although many people who were abused in the 1930s and 1940s are now dead, many of them are still alive.

The timescale is probably the other major issue. A timescale of 18 months for an inquiry into an archdiocese the size of Dublin is clearly inadequate considering the number of cases which have already been alluded to, the amount of sampling that must take place, the complexity of the process and the fact that Judge Murphy must examine whatever material is given to her by the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, regarding the audit of other dioceses. Other material must be examined. The Minister should ensure that the inquiry is allocated whatever time is necessary is carry out a thorough investigation.

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