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

I understand that this morning, the Taoiseach met Maíria Cahill. Although I am not aware of what transpired in the course of their conversations, I have no doubt but that the Taoiseach would have been taken aback by her story and by her account of being raped as a young 16 year old. In addition, attempts were made earlier, when this story was revealed, to undermine her credibility. However, the story regarding the IRA interrogation into her abuse is one that would shake any person who has had the opportunity to hear it. Over the past decade, there have been many debates in this House relating to the issue of child sex abuse. These range from the swimming abuse inquiry many years ago to the inquiry into industrial schools to the various inquiries into Cloyne, Ferns and Dublin and across the board. Politicians from all parties were anxious that those debates would take place and they participated fully in them in the interests of the victims of such abuse, in the sense that those institutions had covered up and had transgressed the rights of victims. For many Deputies at that time, some of that material was uncomfortable. People could hardly believe what they were hearing on those occasions. I remember it well and was involved in initiating some of the inquiries myself. Sinn Féin Deputies were to the fore in condemning the Catholic Church. The Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, stated that Cardinal Brady should resign when it was revealed that as a young priest, the cardinal was secretary to a secret inquiry that swore to silence two young boys who were abused. The deputy leader of Sinn Féin, Deputy McDonald, has stated that anyone found to have covered up the abuse of children should be arrested and should face the full rigours of the law.

See this speech in context