Joe O'Toole (Independent)

If possible, I would like to see the Minister for Health and Children in the House today. Apart from the issue raised by Senator Fitzgerald, I would like to congratulate the Minister for dealing with the head shop issue, in which Members on all sides of the House have taken a keen and passionate interest. Her response is a simple and effective way of dealing with it. It may well be challenged in the courts, but it is a very good start. It is also appropriate to acknowledge the efforts made by Senator Wilson who raised the issue at the outset and pushed all of us to take action, sign letters, attend meetings and so on. I congratulate him and Ms Grainne Kenny who has done so much work on the issue and brought to our attention what was happening in eastern Europe. It is important to acknowledge that this step provide relief for many anxious parents and communities.

I support the point made by Senator Fitzgerald on the need to look again at the Ryan and Murphy reports. I was astonished at the extraordinary words of Archbishop Martin last night. That he is able to say there is still denial about the extent of child abuse within the church blows me away. I find it hard to come to terms with this after all we have read and seen. He has told us with great courage that he knows there are people within the church who would prefer if the truth about child abuse did not emerge. We can only conclude that we have not heard all of the story and that there are forces within the church who are determined to conceal the truth. That is astonishing and the archbishop deserves any support we can give him. He needs to bring the matter further. While we need to know more, we must acknowledge that what he has done is very important. I thought things could not get worse and that we had heard everything, but that there is still more we have not heard and that there are people who are determined to conceal the truth is more than I can accept. The archbishop should allow his words to seep through the structure of the church and society for the moment and let people change their ways, after which we deserve to hear the full facts about obstructionism or non-co-operation in the church or anything related to it. I am not simply talking about members of religious orders or the clergy. These are crimes that are being hidden and it is important that we get to the bottom of the matter and acknowledge the points made.