Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is appropriate that we are talking about children. The Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill was published today. It is a really important Bill. It is critical that we get this through our Houses, passed, put into legislation, enacted and put into place as quickly as possible. If I was born, and if those boys over there were born in a different time, I would be in a mother and baby home. I am an unmarried mother. When I look at those wee faces, I think of the burials in Tuam. It is very emotional, even to have them here today. We need to have this Bill. I congratulate the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, on the work that he, his Department and his officials did. They took on many of the recommendations that were in the pre-legislative scrutiny report. They have included coronial and scientific expertise in the new Bill, which was not there before. That is a big move from what it was. We really needed this and was part of what the children’s committee recommended.

I really welcome this. I hope that we do not have lots of delaying tactics on this Bill. It is a really good Bill. I congratulate all the officials and the outside expertise that helped the Minister with this Bill. I congratulate them on it. I look forward to seeing the Bill pass through all Stages in this House.