Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I endorse everything Senator Lawless said on the E3 visa legislation and I commend and thank him. We in this House owe him and others in both Houses of the Oireachtas a debt of gratitude. It is important work and it is continuing. I can see why the Taoiseach of the day appointed Senator Lawless. I wish him well with that and I hope we can use our connections to push the matter along.

I thank the Leader for agreeing to arrange for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, to come here in early February to discuss Bethany Home. When I spoke here yesterday I was not fully aware of the debate that had taken place in the Dáil and the numerous politicians and Senators who had engaged with the media since yesterday afternoon on this. It is a shame that this group of people has been excluded from redress, for whatever reason. Over half of the people I first met from Bethany Home ten or 15 years ago are now dead. Before Christmas I met two of them outside Leinster House. They are looking for an apology and I understand from today's newspapers that some form of an apology is due shortly. There should be an acknowledgement that people who were in care in the State were hurt and betrayed, regardless of who maintained or cared for them and who reneged on that.We as a State should step up to the plate. I again acknowledge the words of An Taoiseach in the Mansion House on Monday where he alluded to those issues. I ask everyone in this House to use their contacts and their efforts to allow these people to have an opportunity to tell their story in the final days of their life. It is important that people are believed, allowed to tell their story and are given redress. Why in this country do we continue to go on and force people to go through terrible pain to be believed? We need to do something about that. I thank the Leader for facilitating and arranging for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, to come to the House to discuss the issue in more detail.