I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse and related issues. Much has been said and written, especially in the past week, that attempts to portray the actions of this Government in relation to its handling of the issue of past childhood abuse as less than satisfactory. It is necessary, therefore, to remind the House that this Government is the first in the history of this State to listen to the victims of abuse, to apologise to them on behalf of the State and to take positive action to redress the wrongs inflicted on them in the past.