James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Naughton in calling for debate on the horrific discovery in Tuam. These children were not afforded the slightest bit of dignity or common decency and, even in death, they were still regarded as unclean. Their 800 bodies were discarded in unmarked graves. They were innocent infants, their only crime being that they were born of unmarried mothers, in most cases after a crisis pregnancy. I wonder how many more cases will be unearthed around the country. The issue must be discussed with the utmost gravity and seriousness in the House.
I was speaking to a friend of mine during the week and she revealed to me that, 18 years ago, she found herself in a crisis pregnancy. She was going to go to one of those mother and child homes to give her child up for adoption but, thankfully, her family got behind her and she received the support she needed. Her child is now sitting the leaving certificate. I extend my best wishes to all students sitting the leaving certificate. The issue is wider and is one I touched on before. I read a compelling review of a book, Stolen Livesby Bette Brown, in yesterday'sIrish Examiner. It outlines the institutional abuse I spoke about previously in the House. I was castigated for describing it as being like a concentration camp. The phrase comes from one of the survivors in this book.

Des Murray, who described Artane as a concentration camp, said he was singled out by two brothers, two sadists, and his biggest regret was that he did not kill those two bastards. The psychological scars that have been left on thousands-----