Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will do my best to answer the questions raised. I acknowledge the very heartfelt and profound contributions made by Members of this House. I have heard some things in a way I have not heard before, which often happens in the Seanad, and I want to acknowledge that. That is true especially in the way Senators tell their own stories or the stories of others. We know - not just because of what happened at the weekend - that substantial changes in our country happen because people are willing to share their stories. It forms such a significant part of impelling the change. Even the telling of the story is part of that change. I thank the Senators for that.

A couple of Members asked about An Garda Síochána. It has approximately ten of the cases, which is what it asked for. It is going through those cases. The cases are very difficult and complicated because the events in question happened over 50 years ago when there were different ways of recording the information. We know that people were trying to conceal as well as reveal. An Garda Síochána is going through it, and it will then go through the processes it goes through in every case it investigates, in terms of looking for the evidence and making the decision as to whether or not certain cases will go to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. That has already begun, as is right and proper.

The terms of reference for the investigation are almost finalised. We had a final conversation with our independent reviewer a while ago, so the terms of reference will be released as soon as they are ready, which will certainly be before the end of this week. The shape of the review investigation will include targeted sampling of the societies the State has records of, which makes up the 100,000. The State does not currently have the other 50,000 in its possession. That is not to say that we could not ultimately try to find some of them, but they are in attics, hospitals or nursing homes. They could be anywhere. I am not saying that they cannot be found, but I am acknowledging that they are not in the possession of the State at the moment. If they were they would be included in the sampling.