Liam Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)

I want to say to the Minister that while I had some sympathy in the early stages with the sentiments expressed by Senator Ulick Burke — although I would not have supported his amendments for the reasons I will give — I have little sympathy, if any, for the point he makes at this stage. I said yesterday that justice delayed is justice denied. To go down the road the Senator proposes would cause further significant and perhaps enormous delay. That is the last thing the victims of abuse want at this stage. God knows they have waited 30, 40, 50 years and sometimes a lifetime for justice. Now it is within their grasp and it is our duty to give it to them.

There was a case, at the outset, in that some difficulty existed within the Department of Education and Science. There were delays and that is accepted. The then Minister put his hands in the air when he became fully aware of the delays and acknowledged that they were serious and not acceptable. However, we have moved a long way from there and there is now considerable and very satisfactory engagement with the Department of Education and Science. No victim support group has brought this to my attention in recent times as an issue. If they had I would acknowledge it today. I cannot support this amendment, because it is not a live issue and also because enormous delays are inherent in the proposal.