Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

This discussion is hugely important. The provisions of the Bill provide for the establishment of a statutory fund to support the needs of former residents of residential institutions and if Members are to do justice to these victims, they should listen to them. However, huge numbers of such victims have stated they are not satisfied the Bill's provisions meet their needs. There could be agreement throughout the House that what happened in these institutions was one of the most disgraceful episodes in Irish history and that those who were subjected to abuse in institutions deserve Members' support and some form of redress, even though one cannot undo the wrong that was done to them. However, I do not believe the Bill does this.

The Minister has stated he has engaged in extensive consultation with many of the groups of survivors of residential abuse but I simply do not buy this in respect of the consultation. While I agree the Minister has met such groups, questions have been raised as to how representative they are of the thousands of victims of abuse. Moreover, a number of the aforementioned groups are on record as stating they are not happy with the method the Minister has chosen to deal with this issue. As for the level of consultation engaged in, the number of e-mails I have received personally in respect of raising objections to this Bill probably is greater than the number of people who were consulted about this Bill. I acknowledge the Minister is looking at me in disbelief but that is a fact. All of us, as Members of Parliament, have received horrific correspondence from victims who are not happy with the method that has been proposed. Questions have been raised about a number of the organisations that were consulted. Moreover, a number of the aforementioned organisations are on record as stating they do not believe the establishment of the fund in this way is the best way forward. The belief that a fund should benefit the survivors, rather than creating a quango or an administrative bureaucracy to use up the money that then does not get to the victims, has been raised and I do not believe this has been addressed adequately.

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