David Norris (Independent)

I spoke twice yesterday on the economy and I have to speak on it again today so I do not intend to say very much about it but I say this, I listened to the broadcast this morning on the early news and I could sense a shudder of fear going through the Irish people. We all feel that fear. That is why speeches like that of Senator Marc MacSharry yesterday, which was a clear clarion call that dealt directly and honestly with the situation and called for us to look forward and be constructive, are a very important contribution because when people are frightened they need something like that to look forward to.

I wish to raise another issue. I ask the Leader to intervene directly with the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science on this and to allow us to have a debate on the operation of the residential institutions redress scheme. I say this in light of the situation regarding Bethany Home in Rathgar which operated between 1921 and 1972. This was an organisation run by Protestant evangelical groups for the accommodation of prisoners, prostitutes, alcoholics and unmarried mothers. Many children were born there. I attended recently a service of commemoration in Mount Jerome Cemetery where there is an unmarked grave in which more than 200 children are buried.

In 1939 the State's inspectors reported cases of serious medical neglect and the State deflected that and publicly instructed the institution to not under any circumstances include Roman Catholic citizens in their remit. They were sectarianising it and deflecting the situation which was an appalling thing. The Department of Health and Children in recent years told the Department of Education and Science that Bethany Home did come under the remit of the redress scheme but the Department of Education and Science rejected that advice. The legal situation is perfectly clear; that the home was registered by the Minister for Justice and Law Reform as a place of detention for offending female, non-Catholic children and young persons under 17. We know the legal position. The Government must act on this.

This is vitally important. The Church of Ireland Archbishop, Dr. John Neill, has expressed grave concern about this and has stated within the past two weeks that he is deeply concerned at the information revealed by recent research and the Church of Ireland has repeatedly petitioned the State to have the home brought under the remit of the residential institutions redress board. The Church of Ireland archbishop, the Department of Health and Children and legal authorities all say that should be the case but it has not been done. We would not know about it but for the remarkable and courageous work done by Derek Leinster, a survivor of the home, and the academic and historian, Dr. Niall Meehan. The Seanad should play a role in this because in this economic situation human rights must not be forgotten.