Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The sad and tragic fact in these types of situations is that not only are the children treated as pawns, but they are also treated in the way that previous generations treated children in concentration camps. Their minds are taken to be reformed and reoriented in such a way that they will see a disadvantage as being an advantage, and vice versa. This leads to a situation of confusion, obviously, and terrible trauma insofar as the mothers are concerned. Some mothers have been forcibly separated from their children for up to three and four years to prove a point. In the case of vindictiveness, these kinds of things will happen. Worst of all, however, the section 47 reports are not being questioned. There is no allowance for cross-questioning of them. This must stop as a matter of urgency.

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