Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Senator Terry and her colleagues for raising this important issue. I identify somewhat with Senator Minihan's point about the tone of the language used in the motion, which is slightly surprising in the factual matrix from which it emerges. If we get to the point of recognising, being concerned, deploring and making demands, the question is when did this moral insight suddenly strike with such forceful clarity that it requires such language to be used?

On the other hand, I accept that Senators speaking in support of the motion have, in general terms, been fair in their description of the matter and have not behaved like another individual whom I shall not name, for charity's sake only, who announced to the media that he would harry, pursue and humiliate me in public until his own letter writing indicated that he was very much a poacher turned gamekeeper at a very late stage in the whole enterprise. I will not say any more because I wish to be constructive and when we get into political point scoring, we do not do ourselves any good collectively.

I will begin by outlining the provenance of the 1925 legislation. It is interesting to note that it was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, Kevin O'Higgins, whose title was Minister for Home Affairs. He introduced it in circumstances which were quite interesting because, up to then, prison visiting committees provided for some jails and institutions were appointed by local authorities or grand juries, on the one hand, or directly politically, on the other.