John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader to take this opportunity to congratulate the Department of Health and Children. Once again, Ireland is the safest place in the world for a woman to have a child. It is wonderful that Ireland continues to have the world's lowest infant mortality rate and that we lead the world in caring for the mother and the child. At a time of bad news about the health service, it is good to know there are good news stories.

There is a need for people, particularly Members of the Oireachtas, to be circumspect about how they say things. The statement made yesterday that churches were involved in the serious abuse of children is simply not true. There were individuals involved in such behaviour but every church abhors child abuse and it is against the direct teaching of all churches.