Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not disagree with Senator McGreehan on most issues but I cannot stress enough that for someone to take a child that does not belong to them without parental consent - someone who is not acting in loco parentisand is without any legal status - and then to arrange and facilitate the adoption of that child is not the end of game or a process but is simply illegal. Children have constitutional rights and it is clear that it is illegal.

I have been at several briefings and have sat with colleagues from all parties and none and have heard about the engagement and communication with people. I am sure many Members have boxes of files of correspondence from groups and they are clearly telling us the same the story. This is not about a blame game or about holding people to account at this particular point. Rather, it is about acknowledging that what happened was illegal. Let us not get tied up in this and be complicit in the denial. It should not have happened and it was illegal. Anyone with any sense of understanding of what happened to many of the people who lived in the institutions, as well as those who lived with families, could not but hear the cry of those who have taken the journey or been involved in these issues. They want it at least acknowledged that it was illegal and that it should not have happened. Yes, we must move on and there must be a statutory response, as Senator Seery Kearney said. There will be other opportunities down the line and other mechanisms for people in the context of justice and redress, as the Minister said. I do not understand the concept of redress in this context, because much of this is historical but we should accept that it was illegal. It will be very interesting to hear the Minister's explanation and the advice as to why that is not the case.