Seanad debates
Wednesday, 8 October 2003
Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Statements (Resumed).
I recently wrote to the Minister for Education and Science expressing the view that the section of the commission dealing with the vaccination trials should have been removed from its remit and dealt with separately. It was unfortunate that the commission began to assume the role of a catch-all for any problem that appeared to have arisen with children in the past. I also raised this matter when the former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Martin, decided to add to the remit of the commission the vaccination trials which had taken place in mother and baby homes but from which, to my knowledge, no harm was ever shown and nor was any harm described in the report of the Chief Medical Officer. While I understand why some of those involved in the trials feel that perhaps proper consent was not given, the matter should be dealt with separately. This might help the work of the commission.
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