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

I accept the point the Senator is making in terms of forced family separation and I accept what she is saying about choice. We have spoken to people where an adoption was a decision and we have also spoken to people where an adoption was not a decision. I accept the Senator's point in this regard, therefore, and I thank her for providing clarity.

Ultimately, this legislation seeks to bring forward a redress scheme for this grouping of institutions, namely, the mother and baby and county home institutions. I recognise that in the history of adoption and forced family separation, this happened in other contexts as well. It happened in traditional, mainstream hospitals that were not in any way colocated with a mother and baby institution or a county home and I recognise this legislation is not covering these contexts.

I go back to the fact that what we have been given a mandate to hear is to recognise the mother and baby and county home institutions. The State is trying, piece by piece, to recognise what happened in institutions. Many people will argue this is not happening fast enough or broadly enough, but we are bringing forward a comprehensive proposal that recognises the experience of 34,000 people in the context of this specific legislation. We are also looking to do more for others in respect of the other measures we are bringing forward, whether these concern birth information, the advancement of the national records and memorials centre or the institutional burials legislation. As I have said several times during this debate, this Bill represents one part of the State's response.