Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I was quite disappointed yesterday evening when the Minister for Education and Science announced that the Government is opposing the Second Stage of the Labour Party Private Members' Bill, the Institutional Child Abuse Bill 2009. I ask if the Government might reconsider its position on the Bill before Private Members' time this evening. It is not a partisan piece of legislation and it should not be politicised. I do not think there should be a division on it. The measures proposed in the Bill are in line with the all-party motion which was passed in the House. I think the Government could agree to allow Second Stage to pass. It would then proceed to Committee Stage where the Government, in any event, would be in control of its management and timetabling. This would send a far better signal to the victims of child abuse than to have the House divide on it and in all probability, because of the Government numbers, have it defeated. I ask the Taoiseach to discuss it with the Minister for Education and Science during the course of the day with a view to agreeing the Second Stage. The type of issues raised in the debate yesterday evening by the Minister for Education and Science in response to our issues would be more appropriately dealt with on Committee Stage. I did not get the impression of there being an opposition in principle to the Bill and therefore it would be preferable all around if perhaps the Government would reconsider its position; hopefully by the time we reach Private Members' business this evening, we might have agreement.

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