Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and I thank her for her contribution, interest and commitment to these women and this sad chapter of our national history. I thank the Taoiseach for his contribution and his speech of apology in Dáil Éireann last week and I thank our former colleague, Martin McAleese, for his calm, balanced and thorough chairing of the committee, which did such an effective investigation. I pay tribute to the survivors who prevailed not just to tell their story but, by doing so, have left a mark on Irish history. Hopefully, it will improve the lot of future generations and future marginalised and disadvantaged people.

The Minister of State made an interesting off-script comment that, notwithstanding what has been reported, written and deemed to be an accurate history, much more will be investigated, written and added to the jigsaw of our past. That to which she refers will not make for pleasant reading; it will be painful but it needs to be so. Our history is a difficult patchwork and while we can glorify certain patriots and periods, we have pushed much under the carpet and into the recesses of our memories and our collective memory. It must be brought out and brought forward for no other reason than healing. If a country needs to heal its soul and heal itself, it must delve into the dark recesses of the past and fully acknowledge what was done. The State has played a role that is not glorious in the lives of many of the citizens. At times, the State, the churches and religious congregations came together.

Unfortunately, it is not a record of which either organisation can be in any way proud. Hopefully, this report and other such reports will help us to learn and move forward. In the very immediate future, we must ensure that Mr. Justice Quirke is provided with whatever resources he needs to bring immediate healing to very hurt people. It can never be total healing and while all of the psychological, financial and medical support which can be provided will be, and that will help, there is no 100% remedy for past difficulties, pain and sin. However, at least if these women - I will not call them unfortunate women because they are very strong and powerful - can recognise that we are learning and determining, as a nation, to progress forward in a more open and inclusive fashion, that can be part of the healing process as well.

I am very pleased that the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, in their comments to date have stressed the fact that the package of measures which will be put in place will focus on the survivors and not on legal niceties, tribunals or expensive mechanisms. We will try to ensure the resources will go to where they are required, which will be very helpful. That would be part of the State's attempt to heal itself. Then we must move on to the institutions, which were generally of a religious nature. The religious organisations must ask what they can do as part of the healing not just for the women, but for themselves, at a time when the Church and all of its institutions are under significant stress anyway. I look forward to the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, and perhaps the Taoiseach, meeting the religious organisations and I hope that stemming from that will be a very clear demonstration, through attitude and action, by the Church institutions of an acknowledgement of wrongs which they committed and a willingness to, in so far as possible, make amends. We have to be realistic and recognise that today's church leaders and authorities have neither the influence, resources or finances of their predecessors but they must be seen to make a very deliberate effort and to take, if one can excuse the pun, some pain as part of the healing of other people's pain. That would be good for society.

There are so many issues jumping from the pages of this report and much of it is a stain on the soul of the nation. Obviously, much attention will focus on the religious organisations and, as the Minister has said, rightly so but that is not the only part of the story. Irish society was very harsh. My mother, who is 90, speaks of children in her townland and, in particular, children of farm labourers who went to school hungry and of the responsibility she felt to help them, even though she was of very modest means. She speaks of the lives and employment conditions of these people, which were appalling. That was not the responsibility of the State or even the church but was how society ordered itself. The Ireland of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s was not just an unequal place, but a cold place. Much of this profound difficulty stems from how we ordered society then and from our excessive deference to people of means. The people of means were not always parish priests but were often the big farmers and those of so-called superior social standing, who could do as they saw fit. In 100 years time, the history of modern Ireland will move very quickly beyond the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War and will have many interesting chapters on the very cold and sometimes cruel social fabric of our country. That certainly needs further amplification and much healing is required.

Regarding these magnificent ladies who have lived to tell their tale, we must first wish them well. We must also give them an absolute assurance that we recognise the significant wrong done unto them and an absolute guarantee that we will do everything humanely possible to heal their hurt. I look forward to the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch's ongoing work, along with her colleagues, the Minister for Justice and Equality, the Taoiseach and the Government and the entire Oireachtas, in this regard.

Two hours ago in this Chamber we had what would be considered a normal political debate, which we will not rehash now. It was the Punch and Judy of Irish politics, which does not serve much purpose at all. This debate and the debate in the Dáil last week and the contributions of many people, including the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, Senator Power, who has spoken on this topic on many occasions, and her party leader, Deputy Martin, and others, represents good politics. It is good for the soul of the country and for its citizens and most definitely, for the survivors of the Magdalen laundries.