Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will not require ten minutes in which to make my contribution. My colleagues may share my remaining time if they so wish.

I compliment the Minister and the officials in her Department on the work they have done in expediting matters in respect of this very important issue. In 12 months the Minister has done more with regard to the protection of children than was done by hundreds of Members of the previous 30 Dála. I commend her on that. As a supporter of the Government, I must admit there are occasions on which I am not terribly proud of some of the things I am obliged to do or support. However, there are other occasions on which we are proud of such things. I am proud to support the proposed new article the Minister is seeking to include in the Constitution, which is designed to protect children who heretofore had no protection. This article does not relate to all of the children of this nation because, fortunately, the vast majority of children in Ireland are reared in reasonably or, in some cases, very happy families. The new article refers to those who, historically, never had anyone to speak on their behalf and who were abandoned by the State. When I refer to the State, I do not do so in the very insular way in which others refer to it. The State is its citizens and this includes its politicians.

Deputy Higgins referred earlier to the unfortunate role played by the church in the society in which we live. When she published the legislation, the Minister highlighted the fact that the legacy in respect of vulnerable children is pretty dark and shameful. Politicians of all parties - including that which I represent - and none who were Members of these Houses in the past are more guilty than anyone else in respect of what happened during the past 90 years. I have been reading some of the transcripts and I could not believe it when I discovered that there have been 17 reports in respect of this issue. Some of the utterances made in this House by individuals who are still Members and by others who are still around in the outside world in respect of children who were abandoned represent the depth of hypocrisy. No one took action in respect of the children to whom I refer and some of them ultimately died. That is extraordinary but it reflects the way we were and the way some of us still are.

I hope the referendum is passed. Some of the contributions from those on the Opposition benches were opportunistic in nature. From the outset, the Minister has stated that the proposed new article will not solve every problem for every child in this country. However, it will do what she and I want it to do, namely, safeguard those in certain families who are vulnerable. I do not care who their parents are because, as legislators, we should be there to protect these children and give them a voice. We must ensure that no the children of this State will not be obliged to endure what some of their predecessors were obliged to go through during the past 90 or so years. This is the wrong the Minister is trying to rectify and I support what she is doing.

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