Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Go raibh maith again as ucht a cheist, a Theachta. This is obviously an independent report and I commend Dr. Geoffrey Shannon and Ms Norah Gibbons for their clarity and the research and analysis they carried out in what is a harrowing tale and litany of shame in many respects. I recall asking questions when in opposition during Leaders' Questions and so on about work that had been done principally by Deputy Alan Shatter at the time in trying to ascertain the numbers of children involved. There was great confusion about them. The answer given by the then Government was that the number was 20, 25 or 27, but we now know the facts. The independent inquiry was commissioned by the former Minister of State with responsibility for children, former Deputy Barry Andrews.

The report deals with the lives of 196 children who at some stage or other were known to the HSE. There were 112 unnatural deaths, of which 17 occurred while in the care of the HSE. The report will speak for itself when it is published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs later. This occurred, as the Deputy pointed out, during the so-called Celtic tiger days with their veneer of endless wealth. The report is an analysis of the lives of the children concerned. The Government has not put an end to all the difficulties clarified in it, but we have appointed a senior Minister with responsibility for children; given a guarantee to hold a referendum of the people in respect of child protection; made it mandatory to report child abuse; taken from the care of the HSE the matter of dealing of children and set up a new child protection agency which will commence its work with a separate budget on 1 January 2013; and put in place a new mechanism for dealing with children who find themselves in trouble.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs wanted the independent report to be published in order that the truth would be known. The names of the children are anonymised, but it is a story and a saga of shame in many respects dealing with the lives of 196 children. Arising from all the facts now known, we want to put in place procedures and practices that will ensure that, to the best extent possible, this will not happen again.

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