Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The discussion here is similar to the one we have had on previous amendments in terms of proposed reports on the possibility of additional payments, and the concern at Government that the approach that has been adopted - the non-adversarial nature of the scheme, and a general payment covering the time spent, the harsh conditions, the emotional abuse and the stigma and mistreatment - is the manner in which we believe is the best way to progress.

I absolutely hear what Senator Higgins is saying in terms of the vaccine trials that took place in mother and baby institutions but, as we know they took place in the much wider ambit of institutions as well, such as in industrial schools and other institutions and which took place in the general community as well. These vaccine trials took place without consent in a wide variety of areas. We know an attempt was made to investigate this matter and went as far as a tribunal of inquiry, which is probably the most serious attempt at an investigation that the State can make. However, we also know that the tribunal was undermined and annulled for being ultra vires.

On the specific element of mother and baby institutions, and county home institutions, I have met representatives of GlaxoSmithKline. I wrote to GlaxoSmithKline after the commission's report was published and subsequently met its representatives and put to them that they had a moral obligation, in the same way the State had a moral obligation, to bring forward a response. Their response does not go as far as I would like to see it go. Their response is a response based on the provision of information. That information is, undoubtedly of value to people who seek or who wish to have information on whether they were subjected to these trials but I have always believed that we can go further.

In terms of an event instead of actions that go far beyond what happened in mother and baby institutions and county home institutions, I do not believe that the amendment proposed by the Senators is the vehicle to address that in its totality.