Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

That is what I am coming to. I believe there is a need for such legislation. In the light of what occurred yesterday, will the Government give any consideration to the enactment of such legislation? At present, victims can only get compensation if they bring separate court proceedings.

I will be briefer on the second matter, which is also a matter of legislation. Following the publication of the Ferns Report, the Minister of State with responsibility for children announced that consideration would be given to the manner in which the Children First guidelines were being implemented, and to the possibility of them being given statutory force. It is appropriate that we raise this today because we will deal later with the commission of inquiry into abuse in residential institutions. Prior to the reshuffle, the then Minister of State with responsibility for children indicated to the House that the report should be completed by the end of December. I have information available to me that indicates the Children First guidelines are not being implemented, and that if one is a child abuser in the southern part of the country one is less likely to be detected than if one is in what is described in Health Service Executive parlance as the Dublin-mid-Leinster area. In the context of those areas, for example, in 2006 out of the totality of child abuse allegations made, 29% in Dublin-mid-Leinster area were found to be correct——

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