Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On the mother and baby homes report, I have expressed the concern that today we should not necessarily be issuing a State apology. We should have agreed a date with the survivors and their organisation. I have an added concern now in relation to how we will deal with information and tracing legislation to help the survivors and their families. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, said this morning that it would be the end of the year before we would look at this. This is deeply concerning. This is absolute priority legislation for all these families. There is a debate whether we need legislation at all, but I will leave that aside. We can bring in emergency legislation for Covid and we brought in emergency legislation in the past to bail out the banks. Given what has transpired for these people, surely the women, their families, their children and everyone deserves this legislation to be brought forward rapidly in the coming weeks.

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