Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this very important matter. I thank the Social Democrats for bringing the motion before the House. I support it.

People around the country are outraged at the Government and what it is doing, and has done over the past number of months, to the survivors. First, it tried to lock away the records for 30 years. What is it trying to hide? Why is it blackguarding these poor people who have been through hell on earth as it is, and have come this far? Many of them did not survive at all. Why is it doing this to these people? The Minister has been dishonest by saying that he is not opposing motion, but he will still not extend the life of the commission. The life of the commission was extended a number of times before. Why can the Minister not do it once again? We are close to revelations being made and getting to the truth. The Government does not want the truth to come out. Why is it blackguarding these people?

These people are entitled to know who they are, where they came from and who their mothers and grandmothers were, like the rest of us. It is natural for us to know who we are and who came before us. The Minister is being very unfair in this. Once again, the Government is showing its dishonesty towards the people. Even people who are not involved are outraged by what the Government is doing. It is very unfair. I call on the Minister to extend the life of the commission and to give the survivors the information that they want. They are surely entitled to it. It is a human matter. These people should be treated fairly. The Minister should not blackguard them, as he has for the past number of months. We fought the Government hard here in the House on the locking away of the files for 30 years. The Government stuck together and voted the motion down and then the following day said that was not what it was doing at all. The Minister is not codding the people-----

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