Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I support the motion. I am glad the commission is doing its work. Mr. Justice Seán Ryan deserves great credit, as does his predecessor, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy.

The mark of a mature society is that it learns from past errors and evils and tries to ensures a brighter future, when the dignity of a person will be fully vindicated. As we reflect on the Ryan commission, our first thoughts are with the victims of abuse. I note the reference by the Minister of State to the therapeutic value of victims being able to tell their story. It is worth noting the structure of the commission which has a confidential committee, a willow tree where people can relate their experiences in full, as well as an investigation committee to hear different sides in the making of allegations. These separate fora were necessary to cope with the needs of the victims of abuse such as those who had a general story to tell of hurt caused. Perhaps people on the margins of society had suffered before being institutionalised and then suffered further hurt while in institutional care. There is a need to reflect on the institutional set-up.

I know of cases in which false allegations were made. I was contacted by such a person. Eventually the case against him was dropped but not before he had endured years of torment. In taking such a telephone call and hearing such a story, one does not know how to weigh what one is hearing in terms of its quality. The man spoke of wanting to give evidence to the commission but the case was withdrawn. There may be a small number of cases in which that happened but it is also an injustice when a false allegation is made. In some cases false allegations were made against people who were still alive. It is disappointing that in an era when society seemed to understand the strong social sense of the sanctity of life, there was not always respect for the dignity of the living. As we see everyday, including in the context of the Roscommon incest case, the difficulty of vindicating the dignity of the person remains a challenge in society. It is arguable that, while in some ways the world is a better place for children, when one considers diverse issues such as family breakdown and the secrecy that still surrounds the neglect and abuse of children, it can be a hard world for many. That is a tragic statement to make in a society that considers itself civilised and modern.

Many of the institutions in question were run by the church which was the main carer. It is disappointing that, in the cases investigated by the commission, on occasion institutions or people of the church proved to be poor carers. We should not forget that the reason these institutions were largely run by the church is it was the main carer, in the words of the Constitution, in the place of parents. As we continue to learn, sometimes the person charged with responsibility for the care of a child can be a poor or cruel carer, even a criminally cruel carer.

We should situate this issue in an international context. It is tempting to think such cases only happened in Ireland but if one examines institutional care settings throughout the world, one will see that those on the margins of society, those who were vulnerable enough to be placed in institutional care, were frequently considered to have rights lesser to those who grew up in more stable, loving families. As we await the report of the commission and wish it well, listen to its findings and reflect on what we are told, we must learn from what it will tell us in order that there will be a brighter era and that we will be assisted in the work of ensuring a better society in which children and the most vulnerable members of society will cherished and which will be truly child friendly, not just in its laws and public rhetoric but the day-to-day reality of children's lives within their families.