Ciarán Cannon (Progressive Democrats)

Two or three years ago, while channel flicking late at night, I came across a movie, "Song for a Raggy Boy". The end credits confirmed that this horrendous movie was based on real life experiences of children in the institutions we are discussing now. The film crystallised for me the suffering and utter despair endured by these children. It is a credit to the indomitable human spirit that they saw any reason to get up in the morning. How they found the will to live and survive amazes me.

While the Catholic Church found its unique, heinous and very special version of the culture of the time in carrying out horrendous acts on these children, that culture existed across all of Irish society. It was acceptable to visit physical violence on our children. It happened in our schools and our homes. Let us be honest. How many of us had school principals who asked us, every September, to gather sticks so he or she could choose the most suitable one for visiting violence upon the children? Every one of us should be ashamed of that and held responsible for it.

For all the hand wringing and soul searching we will engage in over the next number of weeks, only one reaction is appropriate from legislators and citizens. We must ensure this kind of abuse can never happen again. As we go to bed tonight, children across the country are crying out for that same help and feeling that same despair and loneliness. We are still not reacting to their calls. Last year, the ISPCC received 600,000 calls from such children. Only half of them were answered. Can we, as a Government and as legislators, be proud of this record? We can not.

This is the single biggest wake-up call this nation has ever received. It is a call we must answer. History will judge us by our reaction to this call. Shame on every one of us, as parents, citizens and legislators, if we do not answer this call as it deserves to be answered.