Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am almost finished. It is simply not credible for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or the Minister of State with responsibility for children to portray themselves as committed to child protection when the enactment of such legislation continues to be delayed. It took less than six months to conceive and enact the complex NAMA Bill. It will be at least six years since publication of the Ferns report before we have legislation on soft information.

There is an urgent need for the Government to introduce legislation to amend the Statute of Limitations Acts 1957 and 2000. Such legislation is needed to facilitate victims of clerical abuse, who did not seek compensation in the past because they lacked the strength to do battle with the church or felt that they would not be believed as they could not prove their allegations due to lack of access to church records, to do so now. The publication of the Murphy report assists these individuals by confirming that extensive records validating allegations of abuse are held by the church authorities. The Government should give a commitment to this House that it will introduce the necessary legislation amending the Statue of Limitations Acts without delay.

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