Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tomorrow an important piece of legislation will be put before the House, which is the redress scheme. I will not go into it now because it is for debate tomorrow. Many Members have received a lot of correspondence. The parties have received a lot of correspondence. There will be quite a few people listening in to this debate tomorrow externally and internally. When the Taoiseach came to address us last time he spoke about the Seanad being a revising Chamber. He talked about the importance of legislation. A substantial number of promises have been made to these people. Last week, when we had the excitement of the US presidential visit, we saw the President lift a vulnerable and innocent infant child. For anyone blessed to have children or to have been involved in rearing their own children, or nephews and nieces, there is something really important about that, whatever the context of family. While the legislation we will discuss tomorrow will suggest there will be some compensation for a mother who stayed in an institution for one night, a child who spent four months in an institution will receive no redress. We have to see that in the context of the now established knowledge of drug trials that took place in care. I will finish on this point. I would like to think that Members of this House will exercise the responsibility and opportunity we have to revise legislation, and that we think and reflect on it. Tomorrow I will set out a number of views, one of which will be to appeal to the Leader and to this House to pause this legislation for a short period so that we can put our heads together in order that common sense and justice can prevail.