Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister, Deputy Zappone, would be happy to do that. I will speak to her later as to whether she can do so when the Dáil resumes. The fifth interim report of the commission was discussed at Cabinet yesterday and published today. It makes gruesome reading, even if many of the facts were known to us already, and gives us a further insight into a very dark part of our history, a time when women and their babies were appallingly treated, often simply because the mothers were not married or because they were poor. They were badly treated by the State, the church, their own families and wider society. This happened at a time when infant mortality was very high and there were few vaccines, no antibiotics, very poor public health and sanitation and huge numbers of people living at close quarters in congregated settings. However, none of this excuses the indignity of the way in which these babies were treated in death and as a society we inherit a deep shame for what was done back then and we must now endeavour to learn, to atone and to put things right. This is the guiding approach of the Government and the Minister, Deputy Zappone. As I said, I am sure she will be happy to make a statement and to answer questions when the Dáil resumes.

See this speech in context