Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach's acceptance of my right to make whatever statements I feel entitled to make in this House. I accept that.

The victims of the laundries and their families, however, are looking aghast at the Taoiseach's mealy-mouthed regret and his saying "sorry", no matter how many times he repeats it. Why can he not, as Head of Government, make a full, honest and heartfelt apology to the sufferers and accept that they gave valuable service to the State by their work and that they are entitled to compensation and to contributory pension rights for that service to the State? We know that 26% of them were put into the laundries directly by the State and many more with indirect State involvement.

I have not read the full 1,400 pages of the report, but I intend to and I accept its findings. The women concerned are not seeking cheap publicity. These victims cannot wait another two weeks. A three-day debate with attendant media coverage means trauma and turmoil for them. They just need to be recognised, after all their years of lobbying and of betrayal by the State.

What message are we sending to the Irish people? We need a message of hope for them in these dark times. If we cannot accept an honest report of the barbaric events that occurred over many years in our State, what hope have we for the future and for the young people who are going to college and looking for work? The Taoiseach, as Head of Government, despite the mandate he got from the people, is letting them down. He should give them hope, acknowledge the report and the wrong that was done and move forward.

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