Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

The question is that we would keep child protection to the fore of our agenda. I heard two priests on the radio this morning. They discussed why the pope could not see fit to meet one or two high-profile victims who would carry the message of those who had been abused and hear their pain at first hand. Michael O'Brien asked that there be a message on Easter Sunday from the pope - that was all he asked for - to apologise, be humble and human and ask the victims to forgive the Church for what some of its members perpetrated. The church is still hiding behind canon law. The papal nuncio has been invited, yet again, to appear before the Joint Committee on Health and Children and the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, but he is hiding behind red tape and has refused to come. We need such debates and I ask the Leader to keep the issue at the top of our agenda.