Seanad debates

Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Commission of Investigation Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne: Motion

 

3:00 pm

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to the House and thank her for her contribution. The support for the cross-party motion in the House shows we are all supportive of the Government in its endeavours in regard to child protection. Both church and State must do everything possible to ensure children are provided with the protection they deserve. It is saddening to contemplate the necessity of introducing legislation to provide for mandatory reporting. As a father of a child of almost three years of age, my perspective on life has changed in recent years. Having one's own child brings the horrors detailed in the Cloyne report close to home. This abuse was visited upon children by people who were trusted and held in high regard. It is sad that the State must legislate for mandatory reporting in order to ensure it happens. People should, in any normal course of events, report any instance in which they suspect a child or vulnerable adult is in danger or is being abused.

Children are central to the well-being of the State and it is to them we will leave our legacy. It is up to us as legislators to ensure they have the protection they deserve. The motto of the school I attended, St. Sylvester's national school in Malahide, was "I measc na bpáistí a bhfuair mé thú a Íosagáin". There are thousands of priests and lay people working within the church in Ireland and children are also central to their work. In all our discussions, we must acknowledge, as the Minister did, that as well as those who have let down their church, community and society, there are many good people within the church who have done their best to serve their communities.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, regarding legislation on vetting. The Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, has indicated she will bring forward legislation to place the Children First guidelines on a statutory basis, which is crucial. I acknowledge that the previous Government bears a responsibility for the delay in the long-awaited referendum on children's rights. Will the Minister indicate when she expects to bring that forward? Enshrining child protection in the Constitution is perhaps the most important response we can make to the findings of this and any future reports.

This debate relates specifically to the Cloyne report. I join the Minister in commending the victims who have shown such bravery in interacting with the investigation. It must be terribly difficult for them to do so and we can only hope this is the start of a healing process. There are many people with strongly held religious views who trusted the church and who feel terribly let down by the actions of some of its members. Without taking from the church's role in these matters, I welcome the Minister's apology on behalf of the State and the recognition that we, as legislators, have had failings in this area. This is not a political issue; it is incumbent on all of us to work together to ensure these types of abuse never recur.

In that regard, I intend, in co-operation with my colleagues across the House, to keep a watching brief on the issue of child protection. I remain concerned regarding interagency cohesion and how the HSE interacts with the Garda and social support services. I propose that in the new session we might be able to agree, as we have in this instance, a cross-party motion on the State's response to child protection issues. The church has an absolute responsibility in the matters we are dealing with today, but the State has an equal responsibility on the broader issues of child protection. I hope the Leader and the leaders of the various groups in the House will come together in September to look at these issues, particularly in the context of the proposed referendum on children's rights. It is perfectly appropriate to examine how the church has failed, as we are doing today, but we must also examine how we, as State legislators, can safeguard all children into the future. I would be grateful if the Minister would give an indication in regard to the date of the referendum.

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