Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I echo and support everything said about her in bringing forward this legislation, including her clarity, thoughtfulness and coolness in the way she has presented it. This debate could become somewhat fraught, but I do not think it will under the Minister?s guidance.

The Minister was a Member of this House, as was the late Mr. Gordon Wilson. At the time when he held his daughter?s hand and she said, ?Daddy, I love you very much," family life in Ireland was not that open and it is so important that it should be. The amendment puts children at the centre and continues a tradition. I recall Owen Sheehy-Skeffington coming to the House for many years to protest against corporal punishment in schools and it was the late Mr. John Boland who removed it. As a result schools in Ireland became a much happier place, although there were concerns at the time as to how they would be controlled, which were imported from books such as Tom Brown?s School Days. When we respect the rights of children, we will receive thanks and happiness a thousandfold. In a sense, it is appropriate that the Minister is here today, when we read about the ¤1.5 billion in costs that we will have to bear for the infringement of children?s rights and institutional violence. One wonders what people had in mind when they invented the doctrine of original sin - that there was something inherently evil in children that it required to be beaten out of them. It is a very strange piece of theology that caused so much unhappiness.

In supporting families, what the Minister is doing is important. We are not yet immune to all of the dreadful events outlined in the Murphy and Ryan reports. While we all welcome what Archbishop Martin said, we have ground to make up. I remember the Wexford case in which the undertaker told people that a very distressed person had ordered coffins for both adults and children.

The State and the church failed and we have seen the documentary on all of that. I fully support the Minister. She has been the leader and we are only small supporters. We are sending out the message today that such conduct is unacceptable in society. We must all do better in our treatment of children. The Minister challenges us to do so and we should all respond positively to the challenge and support her in every way.