Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the statements made by this Government was the appointment of a senior Cabinet Minister dealing with children and youth affairs. I commend the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on the work that has been done to date in drawing all the elements of child care and related issues into a single Department, holding a referendum on children, bringing together the excellent work being done by the Garda vetting bureau in legislation dealing with mandatory reporting and addressing a range of issues related to the welfare of children, both now and in the future.

The issue raised by Deputy Kelleher in respect of the fallout from this particular case is one that concerns us all. The case has been referred to the Court of Criminal Appeal for priority treatment and I hope it will be dealt with as a matter of urgency. In that sense, the sentence will not be finally dealt with until the court makes its decision.

The courage of Fiona Doyle who went through horrific and barbaric treatment as a young girl speaks for itself. Few people can speak in the way she has been able to speak and the case has filled people with a sense of revulsion. Unfortunately, however, it is not the only such case that has come to light over the years. Deputy Kelleher will be well aware of other horrific cases.

From my perspective, it was very important to be able to establish, at government level, a senior position dealing with the legislation that will protect all our children in the future. This is a horrific case from the past, which is not yet over. From speaking to people all over the country today, revulsion is a word that has come to people's minds and tongues as a result of what happened in this case.

I hope the Court of Criminal Appeal will deal with the matter that has been referred to it in the shortest possible time. I admire Fiona Doyle and hope she speaks for all those young people who have been the victims of incest, rape and brutality, which have a devastating impact on their mental strength and relations with their families. Deputy Kelleher is clearly aware of the constraints I face in this regard.

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