Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the opportunity to speak. I commend the Independents 4 Change for bringing this motion forward. We will be supporting it. It is ironic we were here only last week on a Topical Issue on the same matter.

I listened to many of those who contributed to the debate today. They covered many of the issues, for example, the immediate redress scheme because many of these survivors-victims are elderly. The issue of medical cards has been raised with me. Even dental treatment for the elderly has been raised. It is not being provided to these survivors at present.

A while ago, the Minister mentioned adoptees and illegal adoptees. Some children were lucky to find their parents. They have got back together after 40, 42 or 43 years - I raised it last week - but still cannot get a passport because they are not recognised. It is ludicrous.

This was originally about the survivors who wanted to tell the truth and who wanted their story out in the public domain so that the reaction would be that it would never happen again. I have often said one of the hardest things to do in this country is to tell the truth because one is persecuted for it.

This brings me on to what I was worried about. First, I make two points on the opening speech of the Minister, Deputy Zappone. The Minister stated, "The forum's work has produced a comprehensive and diverse list of recommendations, which I published last month." It is 20 years and we are still going on about recommendations. We have not seen any of them, nor have any of the people in the Gallery, and it is worrying.

Second, the Minister stated, "At the outset I outlined the importance in establishing the truth so we can accept it and learn from it." That is absolutely spot on. That is what the people wanted, but they wanted it out in the public domain. I refer to the domain we are looking at here. While we are all debating here and there are other Bills and business going through, I am worried about the Retention of Records Bill 2019 which I have raised previously. I thank the Library and Research Service because if one uses the service, it will provide information. I quote this so that people will know what will happen here if this Bill goes through, despite all the work that has been done. The Bill Digest states, "The purpose of retention is to assign these records as Departmental records so they can be transferred to the National Archives for a sealing period of 75 years, after which time they will be made available for public inspection." What is wrong with telling the truth now? This stuff happened 50 years ago.

In conclusion, and here is something the Minister might go back and check because she always uses these nitty-gritty issues in law, there is also merit for the argument that this Bill denies citizens access to their own records under the Freedom of Information Acts.

By doing so, those who relay their stories of abuse are prevented from accessing information pertaining to them. There is not an ounce of truth in this Bill from beginning to end. Unfortunately, when all this work is done, it will be the Irish way and we will shut everything down and put it away. Three generations of families have been affected by this and we must inscribe the story in stone to keep it alive. This atrocious abuse was supported by the State, church and other agencies and affected 3,573 people. Nobody has considered the human suffering these parents felt and the suffering of the children - the adoptees. There are many who do not even know. I go to Bessborough every year and each time I find that somebody is missing. They have not been adopted by someone else. They have been adopted by God because they are dead. There has not been an ounce of an apology or anything else. We should not let this happen to the remaining survivors. I appeal to the Minister to support this motion. Let us do things that are positive and give these people the utmost respect. What they deserve is a bit of peace, decency and respect in their later lives. I commend the motion.

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