Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I pay tribute to the report, prepared by Mr. Justice Ryan, on the work of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. His report lays bare the full horrors faced by those committed to the institutions in question. Most important, his report is an official and incontrovertible statement of confirmation of the pain and suffering endured by so many children whose stories have up to recently either not being listened to or believed.

Along with the Taoiseach and other Ministers, I met with the survivors last week and it was a harrowing experience to listen to their accounts. It is deeply shameful for us that the abuse on the scale documented by the commission report took place in our country and that for so long it was not confronted. The State failed in its duty to protect the children involved causing untold harm and grief to them, their parents and families.

In the time available to me I will refer to two issues particular to my Department. One relates to the recommendation in the report that the lessons of the past should be learned such that steps can be taken to reduce the risk of repeating them. Before touching on this aspect, I first refer to another issue that continues to be a cause of some concern to survivors, that is, the question of the possibility that they may have criminal records. It is a question that has given rise to real fears and the fact that it continues to be raised can reinforce those fears. It cannot be denied that children committed to industrial schools were often treated in a manner similar to criminals, indeed possibly worse. As the Ryan report states, "Children were committed by the courts using procedures with the trappings of the criminal law".

There was a perception held by many that industrial schools were simply prisons for children. The records kept by some of the religious institutions and the way children were treated certainly add to that perception. It is not surprising, therefore, that many survivors went away with the view that they had a criminal record hanging over them. Let me be categorical and unambiguous: the State and our system of law does not regard any child committed to an industrial school as a criminal or as has having a criminal record. All the relevant State agencies have been instructed of this and if any individual encounters a problem he or she should draw it to the attention of my Department and it will be dealt with.

See this speech in context