Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Senator Paul Coghlan.

I come from the diocese of Cloyne and, therefore, I am aware of the pain and suffering of many people in the community arising from the report. However, the pain and suffering of the vast majority of parishioners across the diocese does not compare to the ongoing pain and suffering of the victims of clerical sex abuse, not only in Cloyne but throughout the country. It does not require a motion or a debate for all of us to record our abhorrence at such activities. As previous speakers said, it would have been preferable if an all-party motion had been agreed. That may yet prevail but we must try to move forward and ensure a better place for children in our society.

Our State is more or less 100 years old, depending on which starting date one uses for modern Irish history but it must be acknowledged that while political independence was achieved, it was replaced with an authoritarian form of government, which created a harsh place for our children not only in churches but in our homes and schools. That is something we must deeply regret. Generations of children have been treated as third class citizens and that must never again be allowed. We have a great deal of rebuilding to do not just of lives but of the type of society we want to put in place. In the short term, we must demand of the church authorities in so far as we can and in the strongest fashion that civil law is fully respected and that church members who are a threat to children are reported to the appropriate authorities and dealt with. That is the absolute minimum.

We need a much more substantial debate to go through the Cloyne report and the broader societal problems and I hope we will have that in the autumn. I support the motion and I wish Ministers well in their renewed efforts to improve the lot of children. I acknowledge the pain and suffering of the victims and ask everybody to ensure this misery will never again be inflicted on any child in our society.