Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach's comments on engaging with the Opposition, but I ask that the various representative groups and parties involved be consulted also. I presume the Minister will do this on both the structure of such an inquiry and also its terms of reference.

With regard to a dedicated counselling service, by way of information, when we established the commission of inquiry into the abuse which had taken place in institutions, it took two years to establish a dedicated counselling service with properly qualified personnel who were particularly adept and expert in that area. I suspect something similar will occur in this instance. I appeal to the Taoiseach to do everything he can to set up a dedicated counselling service as speedily as possible because many people may have buried much of what happened or may not have been dealing with it until recently because of the debate. Undoubtedly, it will create issues for people and families and as the inquiry begins, there will be a need for an ongoing and specific counselling service to be established. What is required is something that will be separate from normal counselling services that may be available to people on an ongoing basis in the realm of adoption. A separate and specific service needs to be established for those who have experience of these homes.

I also believe we owe a great debt to social historians and, more recently, Catherine Corless who made the discovery in Tuam but who did so in a measured and balanced way, as we can gather from reading some of the material that was carried in the media over the weekend. She came up with information on 800 babies who had died in the home in Tuam alone and had been buried there between 1925 and 1961. We are looking at a period that dates back to the early part of the last century, up to the late 1970s, if not later, an enormous expanse of time. The inquiry will have to have a number of strands to it. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment to establish a counselling service and a confidential telephone helpline which should be established without undue delay?

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