Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I thank the Leader for arranging the debate tomorrow on the Ryan commission report. It is appropriate that the House should debate the report, although obviously there is a great deal of reading in the five volumes. This should be the first of a number of debates on this document and it should be just the initial stage of a comprehensive response from the House to the content of the Ryan report. It is an appalling litany of cruelty, violence and abuse of children in institutions where such behaviour was endemic. This is not about party politics but about a comprehensive response to what is contained in the five volumes.

The 18 congregations must respond in a moral and ethical way to their obligations. They have so far failed to do that, as is clear from the interviews on the radio this morning and interviews earlier this week with other people. This is not about legalities at this stage but about moving beyond what we have seen to date and ensuring there is a comprehensive response. I do not doubt that we will begin to see the emergence of that comprehensive response from the contributions of Senators in the debate tomorrow. That is what is necessary.

We must discuss the recommendations of the report in detail and consider how we can move forward on them. The State is still not listening to and is still failing children. A number of weeks ago the Minister stated that there could be no independent inspection of homes where people with disabilities reside because the resources are not available to do it. We must examine a range of issues relating to children on which we can move forward more comprehensively. I hope we can do that.

I wish to make two further points about the religious orders and the Department of Education and Science. There was huge legal resistance to publication of this report. Huge legal costs were incurred. It is quite clear that the religious orders, at least, should pick up the bill for these legal expenses. Second, this is a huge archive of incredible importance to this country. I understand the commission gave a commitment to people that some of this material would be destroyed. The Government should suggest to the commission that wherever possible the material and the details it contains should be preserved in the longer term. None of us who watched "Questions and Answers" last night will forget the gentleman who spoke from the audience with such emotion about his experience. It is the experience of these people as young children that we must remember and ensure it never happens again.