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

I want the House to hear of this person I represent, or who is one of the people I represent in this redress scheme proposed by the Government. I tried to contact the agency involved and I gave the timeline of when he was born and of when he was fostered out. He could clearly prove that it was at nine months. He was told, I believe by Tusla who represented the State, that perhaps it was only two months. I can see what the Government is at. It is trying to deny people redress. The Government, and there is nothing wrong about it, is looking after people from every other part of the world. I do not mind it doing that but please look after our own people.

These people were badly looked after many years ago, and some were buried in slurry tanks around Galway. They were not looked after properly and that is where they were finished up. These were wonderful babies with all of their lives ahead of them. The Government is now trying to curtail them from getting redress as they enter old age. God damn it man, is the Government so mean in its heart? After suffering that kind of starvation, will the Government not now look after these people? What is wrong with it? The Government is denying these survivors the right to get proper redress and to be included in this Bill. What is the difference between seven months and four months in a mother and baby home ? Who decided that? What nitwit decided that was going to be a proper law? That will be contested in the courts and the Government will not have a leg to stand on.

We are costing more money here arguing about this. I have been in the House at different times about this, as far back as 2016. Some of these people are in the Gallery today. They are still hurting and will always be hurting about what happened them. There are more of them throughout the country. Some of them are on their last legs. What is wrong with the Government that it is denying our own people a redress scheme? Why is the Government trying to exclude them? I appeal to the Minister, at this late stage, to cop on, because what the Government is trying to do to these lovely people is not fair.

I think of children being born into love and care and, at that time, it was frowned upon if a girl became pregnant outside of marriage. There was nothing wrong with it then and there is nothing wrong with it today. We are striving to ensure as many little babies are born as possible, that we see after them in hospitals or wherever they are to be seen after and ensure they get the medical care they need. These little misfortunates did not. Some of them survived and these survivors are around. We will exclude 40% of the survivors from the scheme and deny healthcare to two thirds of them who are still alive. Does the Minister honestly think that is fair or right?

I have never been as upset about anything as this because it is totally ridiculous. The Government is absolutely mean-hearted. There is misery in its heart when I see it trying to bring forward the Bill in this form. I am asking the Government to change its mind. I am not blaming the Minister on his own, because there is a Government behind him. There are about 34 or 36 people in the Government. The Taoiseach called out the names of all the Ministers and there are that many of them involved that he gave nearly half an hour to naming them. I am appealing to them to cop on and ensure these survivors are properly looked after and that all of them qualify for the redress scheme.

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