Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

I support the arguments made by Deputy Seán Crowe on this extremely important amendment. We should listen to those who have been excluded. It is indisputable that a large number of those who have contacted Deputies believe the fund, as constituted, will not meet their needs. The role of the Oireachtas in this matter is to address their needs. Deputies who participated in the Committee Stage debate will have met one or two individuals who broke down during a break in the discussions. I recall one man who took hold of my hand and told me that while he was well - to be honest, he did not look well - and his needs at his advanced age had been met, he worried about what would happen to three of his children who were in wheelchairs. If he could use a payment for the welfare of his children, the fund would meet his needs.

I have received correspondence from people who need educational services for their children and wish to have a choice about how to spend money from the fund. Others have made an equally persuasive case for using the fund to provide some form of pension for victims of the residential institutions. Having a lump sum payment which individuals would be free to administer would be a much more straightforward and faster option than that proposed. One of the major issues to emerge from the correspondence we have received from survivors is that many of them believe the services to which the legislation will give them access are public services that are available to them in any case. While there may be problems with waiting lists for health services and so forth, survivors believe this legislation is an underhand means of investing more money in public services and does not meet their specific needs. Their needs would be met if they had control over the fund. This is an extremely important amendment which I ask the Minister to accept.

See this speech in context