Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

The recent revelations in the Ryan report have shocked, angered and saddened all of us. Having discussed the report in detail last week, we are now struggling to come to terms with its findings and how best to move forward. It is almost impossible to comprehend the emotions of those who have been abused and whose wounds must be reopened. However, as I have been contacted by relatives of the victims over the weekend, I have been able to get a little insight into their needs at this time. I have spoken to people whose loved ones have died while in care, and who have found difficulty over the years in locating their resting place.

I spoke on Saturday to one of these relatives, whose uncle was committed to one of these institutions at the tender age of eight years, and died aged 13. Freddie was born the eldest of three children in 1921, and his mother died in 1927. He had two siblings; a brother who died last year at the age of 80 and a sister who is still alive at 85. Following a court hearing after the death of his mother, Freddie was sent to an industrial school in Killarney, where he remained until he was transferred to Artane in 1931. Freddie died in Artane in 1934. His death certificate stated that he died of influenza and heart failure after entering the infirmary. Children resident in Artane at the time said Freddie entered the infirmary following a beating and never came out.

Freddie's father had a tombstone erected on his original grave in Artane, but during development in the grounds of Artane years later the bodies of the young boys and the brothers were removed. The bodies of the brothers were interned and identified with headstones but the bodies of the boys who were buried in a mass grave - their names only recorded on a wall in the chapel - were never found. Freddie's family have done their utmost to locate Freddie's resting place so they can give a proper identification and bury him alongside his parents and brother in Mount Jerome. They are also requesting that an inquiry take place into the deaths of all children who died in the care of religious institutions, and their bodies be exhumed and returned to their families. There should be a proper burial place for children who may not be claimed. Each child should have an individual gravestone in a recognised cemetery, away from the industrial school in which they were abused, and appropriate engraving on the tombstone should be erected for each child.

I can only imagine what it must be like not to have a place of rest where family members can visit and sit and reflect on the lives of loved ones who have passed. The need to have a place of rest to visit is well documented by counsellors and psychologists as very much part of the healing process of any family bereavement. Arrangements should be made to assist family members in visiting the burial places of their loved ones.

It is time for the Government to give a commitment to the relatives that justice will be done, not only for those who have lived through this nightmare, but also for those children who have died during the darkest time in the history of our country. These children may be gone, but they are not forgotten, especially by the families, friends and relatives.

For Freddie's family and for many other families, the need is now for closure. These families have waited for a long time to have their voice heard, and at last this has happened. As Members of this House, we owe them. These should be the first steps taken to heal the many broken hearts of those who were abused and those who have died, and to give some comfort and consolation to the family members who are left.

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