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

There is no worse crime than one against a child and there is no worse form of crime or a crime that is more unspeakable than child abuse. On this particular issue Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill is examining about 20 cases and the wider issue as to whether the interpretation of the Louise O'Keeffe judgment is too narrow. I do not have a date yet for that but I have requested one. I understand there may be a separate judicial review which may hold up Mr. Justice O'Neill's work. I appreciate what the Deputy is saying. A scheme in which all applicants are rejected is one which is not working. We need to review that and Mr. Justice O'Neill is reviewing the issues for us. Fundamentally what is behind this is whether the State could have acted in some way and did not do so. I do not have the term which is used to hand but it is on the basis of a failure to act when it could have done so.

See this speech in context