Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is rare that I am completely dumbfounded by the Government or the State but I really am dumbfounded. I am very curious to hear what the Minister has to say for himself in response to the points that have been made and to the request for a free vote, which I echo on behalf of survivors. I was talking to a survivor last night and she asked why on earth the Government would impose a whip on this issue. It is perhaps understandable on economic issues or certain political issues in the general sense of the word but why would one want to impose a whip in respect of an issue like this? The fact that the Government does, makes me think that Deputy Gannon is being too kind, although I understand the motivation for what he says. I think this stinks, because if it did not stink, why would the Government impose the whip? Why would it not just say that we could have a free vote on it? It is a matter of conscience. The survivors are some of the people most abused by the institutions of church and State in this country. They are concerned about what the Government is doing and do not want it to do what it is doing, and it is going to impose a whip and ram through a Bill, despite those appeals and protestations. Why would the Government do that?

Why would the Minister not accept any amendments? It stinks. There is more to it than the Minister is saying. His explanations for his actions do not add up. I do not understand the claim that seems to have underpinned what the Minister is doing, that somehow he is doing this to protect the records because otherwise they would be destroyed. What is the basis for the Minister saying that? I do not see it. I do not believe it is true, but yet the Minister says it. Maeve O'Rourke's article sets out clearly why that is not the case, so why does the Minister say it? This stinks, particularly as the Minister is saying things that nobody believes to be true. Unless he provides a better explanation than he has given to date, I conclude that it stinks, that the worst possibilities are what is actually underpinning all of this, which is a continuation of the cover-up by the State of its appalling crimes against mothers and children. The State does not want to tell the truth about the dark crimes, the sins it committed and the manner in which the church and State colluded in the abuse of mothers and children. It is difficult not to conclude that that is clearly what is going on here.

If the Minister can convince us otherwise, I am listening. The Ceann Comhairle said we should listen to each other. I am open to hearing an argument, but I have not heard an argument from the Government to date. There is much at stake for people here. There is the identities of the people who have already been traumatised. It is their history, and their identities. What right has the State to seal those up, to decide what is done with them, and where they should go rather than the people whose histories and identities they are? It is absolutely shocking. In the spirit of what the Ceann Comhairle said about listening, I am hopeful that the Minister is listening to the appeals, questions and concerns and is going to convince us, to use the Ceann Comhairle's terms, that there is a good reason for what the Government is doing and that there is no reason to be suspicious about the imposition of a whip in respect of a matter like this. I suspect, however, that we are not going to be convinced. I hope I am wrong, but I suspect I am not.

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