Mary Henry (Independent)

No one has any criticism of the Minister or her Department. I am quite sure that Senator Ulick Burke does not intend any either in putting forward this amendment. However, we all know by now the little we can do to actually heal the hurt experienced by the victims of child abuse. We are all trying to do the best we can. If it would help them at all to have the references made to the Department of the Taoiseach rather than the Department of Education and Science, I suggest we proceed on that basis. It would not cause delay, as Senator Fitzgerald has argued. That is the last thing we want.

The Taoiseach did a magnificent job in the apology he gave on behalf of the State in 1999. I only wish more fulsome apologies had been proffered since from some of the other parties who were involved in this. I know that the orders have made apologies, but in some cases it was dragged out of them. If there is anything we can do that stops this focus on the Department of Education, as it was then known, it should be done. Complaints were ignored and even comprehensive inspectors' reports were shelved simply because it was considered unsuitable to bring such matters forward. I urge the Minister to accept the amendment.