Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

We have gone back and forth on this matter. We discussed eligibility earlier and I firmly believe that we should not block people who clearly went through horrific times in these institutions. We should not close down the criteria or block them off. On that basis, this amendment is an attempt to deal with the issue. On Committee Stage, the Minister said such a process would be cumbersome, over-bureaucratic and a logistical nightmare. This amendment is an attempt to deal with the points he made by simply allowing the board to make an assessment. It is different in that one does not need 100% proof on it. If there is a view that this happened in all probability then the board can make an assessment that such people are entitled to apply for the fund. We may not be talking about huge numbers, but we should not close the door to the individuals concerned. It was on that basis that I tabled this amendment as a genuine attempt to deal with the matter.

See this speech in context