Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the officials from the British Embassy who are in the Gallery. They are always very welcome to the House.

The first issue I raise concerns an editorial in The Irish Timestoday referring to GSK plc, the successor to Wellcome, and the vaccine trials performed on children in this State. I raise this issue mindful that we will soon see the introduction of a scheme of redress for former residents of mother and baby homes. I raise it also in the context of the legislation that has been passed in the Dáil precluding children who spent less than six months in the homes from accessing the scheme. We know these drug trials took place on very young children, some of whom were no more than a few weeks' old. All of those children will be excluded under the scheme.

I challenge colleagues today, as I did last week, to take an opportunity to address this issue. The legislation on the redress scheme will not be on the schedule of business next week. It possibly will come before the House the following week or the week after that. We have an opportunity to collaborate on this matter. There is no point talking to each other on the back stairs of the Chamber. We have opportunities before the legislation is scheduled to be taken in the House to work together to bring forward meaningful amendments. I ask every Member to read today's editorial in The Irish Times.Please reflect on the possibilities for us to unite and amend this legislation that is coming before the House.