Liam Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)

It is notable that the Ministers in the rainbow Government who were approached at that time have stayed well clear of this debate. Is this a case of "is binn béal ina thost"? By their silence shall we know them.

This Government is the first in the history of the State to listen to victims of abuse, apologise to them on behalf of the State and take positive action to redress the wrongs inflicted on them in the past. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is just one element of the overall Government response to this complex problem. The Government strategy also comprises a nationwide counselling service and a redress scheme. Over the past couple of weeks I have seen Opposition Members selecting segments of information from the various initiatives, putting them into a bowl, liquidising them and producing a plethora of muddled messages. No new initiative is being proposed by the Opposition. Nothing is positive or constructive. All is negative and denigratory.