Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Aontaím leis an Teachta Adams gurb é seo an rud is fearr le déanamh.

I welcome the Deputy's constructive suggestions. Many people come here from America to trace their roots, having been adopted by Americans. The vast majority of those adopted by people in the United States were perfectly healthy babies. What we need to know is what happened to those who were not so healthy and had problems, intellectual and physical, or other difficulties. The Church can play a role here in terms of identification of burial grounds, whether consecrated or to be consecrated, and the proper marking of same, and in relation to the privacy issues surrounding adopted children and so on. I understand that several thousand children were adopted by people in the United States. The commission will also examine the issue of imprisonment of women, as mentioned by Deputy Adams. On the question regarding the structure and nature of the investigation, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will discuss that issue at 4 p.m. with members of the Opposition and Independent Deputies.

It is a case of trying to define a set of terms of reference that are based on the key facts that need to be determined. Everybody has his or her own view on how we deal with that. Information is now beginning to flood in from many quarters. Rather than have a rushed reaction in terms of the quick establishment of an inquiry that might not be as comprehensive, suitable or appropriate as needs be, it is important that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, on behalf of Government, takes a little time to get this right, although not too long, as this issue has drifted for many decades now. It is one that filters out into a wider societal background of the type referred to by Deputy Martin and also referred to by me. From that point of view, the Deputy can take it that the inquiry will be as comprehensive, thorough and appropriate as possible.

In my view, what we do not want is a litigious response that results in an expensive assessment of facts and files already available in the public domain. There is a whole series of issues involved that need to be dealt with. I would assume that the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, will engage constructively with everybody who wishes to contribute, including historians, local groups, members of the public and public representatives, and will try to ascertain the totality of the range of facts that need to be determined and on that basis define the structure and terms of reference for the commission. Members of the House will be directly involved in that.

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