Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply but we do not accept it. We are looking for recognition for the people who are sharing their experience. Seven months ago, I was contacted by a Traveller man who had been in a mother and baby home. He poured his heart out in completing the application form and sent it to the Minister's Department. He was in the institution for fewer than six months, however, and he said to me he has never felt more unworthy as he did as a result of being excluded from the scheme. He went through his whole life feeling different from others because of his experience in a mother and baby home and because he is a member of the Traveller community. We must recognise the racial abuse experienced by people of colour, members of the Traveller community and members of other ethnic minority groups who were in these institutions for under six months. Our amendment is more an empathy amendment than anything else. It would give the bare minimum of recognition that people were in these institutions and what they went through from a health perspective, in terms of racial abuse experienced and the vaccination trials to which these children were subjected.

In all fairness, will the Minister not recognise these people's experiences? His answer is not good enough. He is talking in a roundabout way and out of both sides of his mouth. The amendment is asking that we recognise people's experience. It is the bare minimum required. The Minister will either do it or he will not. I hope he will come back to us later and we can find a way for the Government to recognise people's experience of vaccine trials and racial abuse.