Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I knew nothing about symphysiotomy and pubiotomy until the constituent to which Deputy Anne Ferris referred invited me to a meeting. I listened in horror to the stories being told. Coming from a farming background, I have cared for hundreds, if not thousands, of animals while they gave birth and I would call a vet if I needed help. A vet would be more considerate than some of these people.

As I was tied up in committee meetings, I did not get the opportunity to hear the Minister's speech. I do not want to read a copy of it because I urge everyone concerned to set aside the protective mode and acknowledge the wrong that was visited on these ladies. They were abused for experimental or religious reasons, or simply because of an attitude of medical superiority. Some of those who spoke last night argued that it is too simple to blame the religious ethos of the hospital. Medical experts appeared to take the elitist attitude that they had the right to choose how mothers should plan their families. Given that caesarean sections have been safe since the 1930s, there was no excuse for preforming these procedures in 1944.

At the very least, these people deserve to be told they were treated horrifically by the State and the medical profession. The only way we can deal with the issue is by lifting the Statute of Limitations to allow them to seek redress in an independent and fair manner. Peace and reconciliation commissions have been established in South Africa and on this island. In this case we need a truth and reconciliation commission. We need a forum whereby people who still believe they did nothing wrong for whatever reason meet the people on whom they foisted this abuse and their families. Having listened both last night and previously to these ladies' stories and the stories of their families - husbands, daughters and even grandchildren - it is clear their lives were utterly changed.

I am the eldest of eight and my mother is 81. I feel so grateful that she was lucky enough not to have had to endure that. Last night, I listened to one daughter talking about to her mother. My mother taught for 36 or 37 years as a schoolteacher and reared eight children. She is lucky enough to have her health and all her faculties about her. She used to say teaching was getting away from us, which is probably a fair assessment of what she had to do.

Only for the bravery of a very small group of people who are left in bringing this story to our attention, this would have passed us by. The men here are as moved by it as the female Members. I commend Deputy Ó Caoláin. Even though we have enough reasons to divide the House, on this topic we have managed to unite to try to find a resolution to this terrible wrong that was done to these women. They need at least to have faith in the structures of the State that acknowledges it in the first place and tries to deal with it as best we can. While the Statute of Limitations is important, it is not the only part of it. We need some sort of truth and reconciliation forum to allow people meet their demons on both sides.

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