Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I too am very pleased to contribute to this debate. I have listened to many of the speeches and I will echo many of the points raised by others. Ultimately, in the contributions that came from the other side, it seemed that we were "damned if we do and damned if we do not". I have never experienced such negative criticism. This Government was the first to take on the problem of abuse, which has been in our midst for 40 or 50 years. In the past, successive Governments, including coalition Governments of Fine Gael and Labour as well as Fianna Fáil, failed to take it on. However, this Government has faced up to its responsibilities regarding redress for the survivors and victims of abuse. I congratulate the Taoiseach who apologised on behalf of the State for wrongs done. The commission was set up with that in mind.

I have read the history and it seems to me that the commission has two parts to it. There is an investigating committee and a confidential one. The problem arose that so many applicants were coming on stream that members realised it would take the committee between eight and 11 years, or perhaps longer, to fulfil its role. The Minister had to take responsibility and go back to the Government and say that it had to be examined again. We are here to examine how we can review the investigation committee to speed up the process and bring justice to those who have been wronged over the years.

Where do we go from here? We are here to discuss how the committee will be reviewed, how best we can give redress and what compensation can be taken on board. It is in that area that concern has been expressed. We must come forward with new thinking on how the religious orders can face up to their responsibilities. The State has huge responsibility. As we know, in the past the State was responsible for removing such children from their homes and putting them into religious institutions. This was accepted. The agents of the State must have known that they were being physically and sexually abused there, yet nothing was done about it. The State, therefore, bears great responsibility and it has owned up to it. Religious congregations have likewise accepted that there is a responsibility on their part to become aware of the problem.

I will not speak at length on the issue which has been thrashed out. I was at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science last session, where I listened to many of the victims. I came away feeling that it was the first time the Government had listened to the problem and tried to face up to it. It is the first time the Minister entered into a discussion. I compliment the former Minister, Deputy Woods, who dealt with it at the time and I compliment the current Minister for facing up to it. There are no fixed answers on how we can best go forward, so why are we criticising it? We are trying to find the best solution to the problem.