Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman and the Ministers for the opportunity to say few words on the report of last week as this is my first opportunity to do so. I agree with many colleagues in the many excellent points that have been made, none more so than Deputy Connolly, who hit the nail on the head for me on this issue. I will make some points generally about the report towards the end of my contribution but I want to initially put on record the testimony and words of a very brave individual who is a friend of mine for 40 years. He asked me to mention his name, which is Graham Monaghan. He is in his 50th year and is a survivor of residential institutions' abuse. He has been through the redress scheme that we had in the past and it is very important that we embrace his testimony as we set out to bring some level of justice to the victims and survivors of the mother and baby homes scandal. These are his words:

I discovered I had been the victim of repeated physical abuse as an infant in care and with legal advice set about making a submission to the Redress Board. The original Redress procedure was supposed to be non confrontational but it appears most if not all victim/survivors experience was anything but that. So many including myself were made feel like we were looking for something that we were not really entitled to.

The formula used to calculate your award was like something from a tv quiz show. Points made pounds.

The whole experience was cold, unfair and demeaning in so many ways. We had to sign a gagging order to say we would never disclose any settlement or we could face serious penalties.

We are not equals in our own country and we are the innocent victims of someone else’s circumstances.

We have no rights to access our basic information such as our full birth certificate and medical files which for many of us including me we are led to believe no longer exist.

I have no idea what I was fully subjected to as a defenceless baby.

For the State to continue treating us different within society and not as true equals only helps to promote prejudices which do exist and which others like myself have had to endure and to this day have to deal with.

In my experience and I’m sure with so many others too we have to try and defend ourselves against extended family members who don’t regard you as real family and that you weren’t really the son or daughter of your parents. It’s horrible.

Despite the fact that both my elbows were destroyed while in care I still know I am one of the lucky ones because I was adopted by two incredible people and I feel a deep guilt for all those who were not as lucky as me and that is a guilt I carry with me every single day.

I don’t trust the State on any of these issues that have affected so many of us so badly because the State has such a shocking track record on these matters.

The time for talking and making apologies has to stop. It’s time to LISTEN as not just hear our voices.

Only those of us who have lived and experienced these lives along with those loved ones or friends who have watched and supported us as we go through so much pain, hurt and frustration can really and truly understand just what our lives have been like with all the obstacles that can be put in our way.

In my case having to go through the indignity of having to ask my Dad to sign an affidavit to swear who I was and that he was my Father just so I could go ahead with getting married.

The reason for this was that despite the fact that I was Baptised twice (once shortly after birth and second after adoption) but no one has a Cert [which appeared to apply to] me.

I will never get over the hurt of having to ask my Dad to do that... It will always be one of the very lowest points in my life.

All we are looking for is truth, equality and justice. It’s time for proper action to finally start and allow us to come out ... lift the shadows of the dark past under which we have lived our lives and for once feel like equals.

7 o’clock

These are the words of Mr. Graham Monaghan and I am glad to put them on the record.

Last week, the Taoiseach stated that a republic should be prepared to hold itself to account. I agree 100%. As we apologise to these people and promise redress, we should learn the mistakes of the way the Graham Monaghans were treated and not match what we did before, which was inadequate. To this day, we do not hold ourselves to account. I doubt that we would get the answer, but if someone tabled a parliamentary question to find out how many protected disclosures across Departments and State agencies were under consideration currently, I imagine they would probably number in the hundreds. Is the State's approach to hold ourselves to account and give people justice? No, it is not. The entire system is rigged, supported by all of us in these Houses, to circle the wagons, delay, deny and defend. The house must always win. Ask Mr. Maurice McCabe, Mr. Noel McGree and the countless people who have gone public and who, with the benefit of "Liveline", some of us in these Houses, the Committee of Public Accounts and other Oireachtas committees, have got some justice. The reality is that the Republic does not hold itself to account. Only when we are dragged kicking and screaming do we acknowledge what we have done and set about putting it right.

I hope we do not repeat mistakes in seeking to provide adequate redress and full disclosure to these people. Last week, the Taoiseach told us that there was no constitutional barrier to the Graham Monaghans of the world getting their birth certificates. The Minister should get on with it. He has stated that he looks forward to the legislative scrutiny stage of the appropriate adoption and tracing legislation in the coming months. He is a Minister, but he is relatively new to these Houses and, in my experience, what he said was Department speak for on the never-never. I have participated in passing legislation at night that was written that morning. For once, let us do what the Taoiseach said last week. Let us be prepared as a republic to hold ourselves to account.

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