Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

There is probably very little I can add that has not already been articulated extremely well by Deputy Connolly, other than to say that people are still stunned as to why the Minister is bringing forward this Bill, especially in view of the fact that the necessary consultation with the residents and survivors of the mother and baby homes has not taken place. It feels like the Minister is captured by the Department and that he is doing the Department's bidding on this rather than driving it himself. I do not wish to cast aspersions on the work done by people in Tusla, but if we are to leave any imprint at all on the Bill from the people who have spent time in these institutions, it has to be that we take out that line from the Bill. One of the main issues raised in representation after representation and email after email has been that these survivors do not want Tusla in the position into which it will be placed by the Bill. I will therefore make to the Minister the same plea I made last night. We often come into this Chamber and have these debates after political parties have already embedded themselves into their positions. I ask the Minister to allow his position to be directed or at least influenced by the articulation of the survivors' experience in our contributions. I ask the Minister to accept this amendment.

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