David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am afraid the Taoiseach's heartfelt apology in the Dáil recently is in serious danger of being undermined. This relates to the comments of Senator Bacik. Apparently, officials from the Department of Justice and Equality have cast doubt on whether the Magdalen survivors would be included in the redress scheme because some of them have already been party to the residential institutions redress scheme. They were given an assurance at that time that this was a stand-alone inquiry. These are not avaricious people. They have indicated that they were not primarily looking for money and it is humiliating for them to suggest in any way that they are. The logic of it is odd. If a person was injured in two successive car crashes separated by several years, one would expect, rightly, that the person would be compensated for both.

I wish to address the business of Bethany House. As Senator Bacik generously indicated, I have raised this issue over many years. In particular and in general I have raised the question of the apparent exclusion for Protestants from any kind of ill-doing in this area, whether bullying in schools or this kind of institutional abuse. I am concerned about an article that appeared in the Irish Examiner, usually a reasonable and balanced newspaper, on 3 January. This seems to me to be a sensationalised, ill-informed and opportunistic piece. The language does nothing to justify or assist in this cause. The article stated: "There was slaughter from 1935 to 1944" and "They died because it suited." That is an accusation of mass murder and I do not believe it is appropriate or balanced. The person indicated that the church did not run the homes and that there was an involvement by an evangelical wing. As someone who has raised this matter, I am not in any way attempting to excuse the people at the institutions involved. Most worryingly, the article inaccurately states:

And I have heard this self-awareness clearly in some voices and actions in the Catholic Church. But none in the Church of Ireland.

Where was this person when on radio the previous Archbishop of Dublin, the Reverend Dr. John Neill, demanded that Bethany Home be included in the redress scheme? This was a demand I repeated in this House.