Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I endorse the points raised by other Senators. I would love for us to have this debate today, I am so ashamed of what has taken place. My stomach curdled today when I read the horrific accounts in the The Irish Times. I thought of myself as a child and realised the abuse was going on when I was growing up and wondered whether my parents or society knew about it.

This is a major issue that affects all of us. I am ashamed of the culture of silence that went on around us while this physical, sexual and emotional abuse was being carried out. Yet, awareness of it never penetrated society. Why was that? I was a teacher for many years, but I did not know about it. We should have come across it somewhere. There is a bigger issue. Not alone must we discuss the abuse, we must discuss society. We have a responsibility to look first at ourselves and our role. Of course those in authority are to blame. I am ashamed I was a Catholic and this was going on around me and that religious institutions behaved in this manner, because they had the power to do so.

We have the power. Society should have the power to deal with this. I hope that when we have this discussion, we talk about other issues such as the breakdown of marriage and whether physical, emotional and sexual abuse is going on currently. Who knows what is going on this morning as we are discussing this issue in the Chamber? This is a huge issue that will not be mended overnight, but we must all play a part in its repair. I would love if we could accommodate Senator Norris and have the Minister here for a debate and statement on the issue today.