Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House. I have been listening on the monitor yesterday and today to the debate. It has been a good debate and I welcome the opportunity to make a short contribution.

As a Christian Democrat, which I am first and foremost, I believe that the primary responsibility of the State is to protect children. Whether in the 1950s or today it is a responsibility we all must share and work towards. There is a great problem in this area when we look back and point the finger at the physical and sexual abuse that took place in the past in our institutions and elsewhere. There could be a smugness in thinking that since the protection of children today has advanced, there is currently no form of child abuse, which is not the case. I reiterate the point that we must always be vigilant in all sectors of society in terms of rooting out abuse and ensuring best practice in the protection of children.