David Norris (Independent)

The Minister has responded in a very reasoned way and has left the door partially open for some amelioration of the situation further down the line when reports, etc., are received. The figure of 15,000 is truly shocking, particularly in the context of the fact that the State has acknowledged that 94% of these people's rights were violated in this horrendous way. I hope there is no possibility of this ever happening again. It obviously cannot happen again on this scale but I hope it will never happen at all. In 1992 or thereabouts I introduced the guardian ad litem clause, which is intended to be of assistance in instances where the safety of children is threatened. Unfortunately, proper resources have not been provided in order to ensure the implementation of this clause. Had such resources been provided, much of what happened in the Roscommon incest case, for example, might have been avoided. I ask the Minister to impress upon his colleagues in government that if we are serious with regard to ensuring that this does not happen again - even in the context of a small number of very severe cases - then proper resources must be provided in order to implement initiatives such as the guardian ad litem programme.