Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

I welcome members of the Ryan family to the Gallery this afternoon. We remember their brother Mark and commend all of those survivors, some of whom have had the courage and internal strength to be able to come forward. For the others who we know are watching this at home and who may never have said it out loud, we commend them nonetheless for surviving what they have been through. I welcome this announcement. I am genuinely confused about the exclusion of physical abuse. As has been requested, the Minister may be able to provide us with an explanation. I am reminded of a very close family member of mine who is now deceased. She had her head battered off the blackboard in school repeatedly. She had a massive scar down her face. She wore a fringe all her life to disguise it. It seems very unfair that this very real physical abuse that was visited on her would not be part of this.

Like others, I have spoken to survivors of mental, physical and sexual abuse in schools. The evil bastards who perpetrated these vicious crimes acted with impunity. They absolutely did and they had cover for their actions. They often had help from the health board and An Garda Síochána, making sure their secrets were kept hidden and their victims discredited or ignored. It is hard to see how this damage will be undone but I welcome this important step. It is important the Minister gets this right. It cannot be a gesture. It has to be about justice, recognition and collective truth-telling. We cannot fully heal until we name the ways in which this systemic abuse and the systemic secrecy shaped us and shaped how we live and who we are today.

The impact of this abuse was felt not just by the child at that time but it lives with them forever and influences their family and their whole lives. The Minister referred to institutional sexual abuse but the truth is that the trauma is here today. It is not historical necessarily. It lives with people right up to today. Deputy Kenny spoke about power and the Minister spoke about shame. It is really important that the shame switches sides and that the shame is on the abuser and on those who covered up, no matter what their role was. However, it also has to be about power and returning power to those survivors, giving them back the power that was so cruelly taken from them.

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