Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this matter. I welcome the Government’s announcement today that a commission of investigation is to be set up to get to the bottom of it. As someone who represents the constituency of Galway East, I have heard an awful lot about this matter locally in recent weeks from quite a number of people. I have no doubt the same applies to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and to Deputy Keaveney.

We have heard an awful lot about this locally in recent weeks from quite a number of people, probably from people who knew about this for quite a long time and who are somewhat confused as to why it has become such a public issue now, given it had been raised by quite a number of people previously.

The first point is to acknowledge that the commission is being set up. It should be set up as quickly as possible and we must ensure it has all the power it needs to bring people in front of it, and that those people then go on to supply the information that is needed to get a full and true picture of what actually happened.

The people of my generation do not remember these homes and know little about them. We probably know most about them from films such as "Philomena" or "The Magdalene Sisters", which is how we got our information. Therefore, to hear about what went on in Tuam in that period is extremely shocking and something to which we cannot really relate. The one thing I have found most heartening is the number of people who have contacted me to say that we have to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

The way we start to do that, which is extremely important, is to talk first to those who have survived the mother and baby homes. We seem to want to talk to a lot of experts and people who have a mass of opinions about these topics, and they will all play their part. However, from listening to people who had first-hand experience of this, I believe they need to be listened to first in order to hear what they lived through and survived. We need to allow them an opportunity to get the care and attention now that they deserved to get many years ago, but which was never given to them. If we start to do that in the first part of the commission, it would be a good day's work.

When I listen to people talk about those times, it is clear the church had much more control over the country than perhaps it has now. However, it is all too easy just to blame the church and, while it played its part, there were many other people in society at the time who knew of this and perhaps acknowledged it but wanted to do nothing about it. It is all part of our national shame that this was the case. All too often in politics, we look for a scapegoat, for someone we can blame, and put it all down on top of them, and then, when we have the inquiry, we move on and say that is another good day's work done. However, we have to acknowledge that, in those times, politicians and other people in very professional capacities knew what was going on and decided to do nothing about it. We would be wrong to continue on without acknowledging that Irish society at the time played its part in what went on in these homes, because it is acknowledged that what happened in Tuam was an absolute disgrace and a shame, but that is only one part of the country. We need to get to the bottom of what happened, we need to know who played their part in it and what can be done to help those who have survived.

There is no point in taking part in a report like this on the number of young people and babies who lost their lives unless we learn lessons from it. As a Government, as is true for previous Governments and for Governments to come, we all too often throw around the slogan, "We cherish all of our children equally", when we just do not do so. As someone who has been elected to this House for three years, I still find it quite upsetting that, in this day and age, we have parents coming to us with a child who is looking for an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist, who is on a massive waiting list and is simply not getting the care and attention they deserve. They certainly are not being treated equally or like everybody else. If we really want to cherish all of these people equally, those parents have to have that burden lifted off their shoulders or those children will not have all the opportunities that we have had, in common with those in the mother and baby homes, who were not given a fair chance. In 2014 and further on, we have to do everything we can to support those children and their families.

If this inquiry teaches us anything, it is that no matter a person's income background or social background, they deserve to get that care and attention. Unfortunately, we still have children in our society today who are not getting it. If this Government could set anything to do in the next number of years, it is important we look after those children as well. Let us remember those who lost their lives in a very shameful way but let us ensure we are not back here again in 20 years talking about another lost generation.

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