Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I welcome the members of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance who are in the Visitors' Gallery listening to the debate this evening. Let us take as an example what happened in Tuam between 1925 and 1961. It took the courage of Catherine Corless to come up with the findings on that. Listen to the outcry among the public at what happened there and in other places. The light of hope came from the fact that first, the State apologised and a redress scheme was going to be put in place for the survivors. I have spoken to a large number of survivors. It is not about the money. It is about the principle, which is that anyone who was in a mother and baby home - any child who was separated from their mother and any mother who was separated from their child from birth - is a survivor.

There is no such thing as an apprenticeship for six months before you feel anything. Every child deserves that to be said for them. There is no reason to put a timeframe on it. Anybody who has been affected by this and who has been separated from their mother should, in all honesty, be included in the redress scheme. Some very good amendments have been put down which have been ruled out of order for one thing and one thing only, that is, because it is a cost to the State. That is the damning thing about what is going on here.

I know the Minister wants to do the right thing but the people in the Gallery, and all survivors across this country, deserve what was intended to be their ray of hope after years of holding a secret themselves. People here have spoken passionately about it, far better than I ever could. There is an opportunity right now, this evening, for us as politicians to stand up, hold up our heads, put out our chests and say we are going to do the right thing for all these people.

I ask the Minister to consider that everybody who was in a mother and baby home and everybody who was separated be included in the redress scheme, and that anybody who was fostered out also be included. There is no logical reason people should be excluded or to create division. We should not categorise survivors. It is unbelievable when you think about it. We have to consider the survivors, what they have said and what they continue to say. This Bill is meant to do something for survivors but in effect it is actually a negative, given that 40% of survivors will be ruled out of the redress scheme for no reason other than a decision that was made to save money. I cannot see any other reason for it.

People have waited a long time for justice. The Minister has done a lot of good work since he came into office and I respect him and the work he has done. We talk about the past and the dark days but today we can shine some light or some ray of hope on this horrid saga. We as politicians right across the House should be able to agree we will do the right thing. I cannot say it any other way. I cannot support the Bill as it is because we are excluding people from it. I ask the Minister to consider it, to go back to his officials and say we have to do this right or not do it at all.

People are truly upset, which they should not be. They have had enough upset in their lives. People are concerned and they have been sending us messages over the past number of days. I have probably received up to 500 messages, each of which I replied to out of respect for these people because that is the least they deserve. We just need to call a halt and look at what we are doing and what we are trying to achieve. What we are trying to achieve is justice and justice is not served if 40% of the people are ruled out. I plead with the Minister to please reconsider the whole issue of the six months.

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