Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

I commend the Taoiseach on his speech today and hope the recommendations in it, those in the report and the recommendations of the victims are followed.

How could our institutions - the State, the various Departments, the legal system, gardaí, judges and other institutions such as the religious orders - have failed so appallingly? As a teacher of history, I have taught about the Reign of Terror, the Holocaust and the killing fields of Cambodia. Now the history books will include chapters on our reign of terror, which was the physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children. As a teacher, I know what it means for a child to feel welcome in a school, to get the praise, the kind words and the encouragement. I know the difference that positive affirmation makes and how children learn and grow in that type of environment. However, the experiences of these children were all negative and hurtful. They suffered. That pain and anger have been very evident, particularly yesterday at the march.

Different types of help are needed. First, I find it offensive that the word "deal" can be used when talking about help. I feel also that when help is monetary it must not be swallowed up in bureaucracy or in legal fees.

I wish to mention a group of abused who do not wish to hear any more stories in the media because this is hurting them too much. They need a different type of help. As somebody who chaired the north inner-city drugs task force, I was constantly aware that those who were abused may turn to alcohol and drugs. I knew about the effects on their families as well as the other devastating effects of their having been institutionalised. Yeats wrote about a childish day being turned to tragedy. How many childish days were turned to tragedy in those years?

This is not a time for rhetoric, posturing or one-upmanship. This is a time for peace for those who have been hurt. However, they cannot have peace without justice and, therefore, I endorse the agreed motion.

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