Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I mentioned earlier in the House that Deputy Connolly was not well this evening so she could not make the debate. She asked me to read this out on her behalf. This Bill is divisive and discriminatory. It is excluding completely any child who spent less than six months in a mother and baby home. No reason is given except a bland claim they would not have known what was happening. This is despite a letter signed by over 30 therapists setting out that the first six-month period is one of the most sensitive and important in a child's life. Also, those boarded out are completely excluded, along with no recognition for the extra suffering of children of mixed race. It is ignoring so many submissions and the cross-party recommendations, for example, to include all children, in the submission from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, the survivors and particularly the consultation carried out by OAK Consulting on behalf of the Department. More than 550 survivors engaged with this process and the vast majority agreed that a universal redress scheme was the only fair and just way to proceed. The Minister should withdraw the Bill and work with the Opposition. The precedent is there from the recent patient safety Bill.

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