Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Labour Party is willing to co-operate in agreeing a joint motion and having a non-partisan and non-adversarial discussion of this report, its conclusions and the steps needed to be taken and the lessons learned from it.

No amount of compensation will ever compensate the victims for what they have suffered. No motion of this House will ever undo the damage done. No words spoken in here will ever take away the hurt the victims are suffering. As we saw last night on television, victims of this horrible abuse are living with the pain every day. I agree this issue needs to be debated quickly and conclusions in the House and between the Government and the religious orders need to be reached quickly. This is necessary because the dragging out of the issue will only contribute further to the pain the victims are suffering.

It would, however, be a mistake if we did not ourselves as a State face up to some very painful facts. The big question the House, the Government and all of us in public life must ask ourselves is not one concerning the horrific crimes committed against children and pointing the finger at those who committed them, but how it was allowed to happen. How was it that when these children, their families or people acting on their behalf came forward, no one believed them, no one wanted to believe them or no one wanted to hear? Why was it that Department inspectors turned a blind eye?

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