Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

No, they are being selected in a consultative process. Judge Murphy has immense experience as a public servant, as a journalist, as an editor of a magazine and as a member of the staff of the National Social Service Board. In addition, she was at one stage a special adviser to the Tánaiste of this State. These are quite extensive qualifications for anyone carrying out this kind of work. She also has judicial experience in family law and other criminal law cases, which will be very important. I am very grateful to her for accepting the commission.

The staffing of the commission will comprise of a solicitor, two higher executive officers or administrative officers, two executive officers, five clerical officers as well as a senior counsel and five researchers. Projected staffing costs for the commission of investigation into child clerical abuse total €5.695 million, which includes €1.6 million for the legal costs of third parties, roughly 40% of the commission's own costs. The terms of reference permitted by the Act will be honed and perfected before the commission is established. The victims organisations have been consulted about all of this and they are, broadly speaking, happy with them. Many meetings were held with them.

There could be inquiries in every diocese in Ireland, in every non-Catholic diocese in Ireland and in areas which are not religious at all. It could be possible to abandon sampling as an idea. It would be possible to take away the 1975 guidelines and investigate incidents in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. However, there would be at least a century of investigation which could only be accomplished by 15 or 20 parallel inquiries, or by the establishment of some monumental statutory body that would never report back to us. The victims are happy with the approach being taken. Mr. Colm O'Gorman, to whom I want to pay particular tribute, has been entirely realistic about this. I thank him for his patience, because he has seen the political process that has brought us from where we were when this programme was shown to where we are now.

I thank the Deputies for their supportive remarks and I wish the commission good fortune in carrying out its functions. Once the motion is agreed by this House, I will bring a similar motion before the Seanad and I hope to establish the commission in the new year.

See this speech in context