Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and I wish everybody a good recess and break, as well as lots of work in their constituencies. I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, for coming here this morning.

Members are aware that we have two unanimously-supported motions in support and on behalf of the victims of major sexual abuse and rape in St. John's Ambulance Ireland. I know the Minister has been very helpful, and they have met. I know all of these things but the frustrations of the victims are still very much paramount. Nothing has changed. The child protection issues that have been raised have not been resolved. The members of the board are still in situ, and all along, when we have engaged with the Minister, he told us that there was nothing really he could do other than support the victims and instruct the people within the organisation to do what is required of them, because we did not give those organisations State funding.

Last week, we discovered that we do give them State funding, and not small beans but enormous amounts of State funding. I am asking now to find out what the State funding is for, what Department it came from and why we did not know about this in the first instance. What are we going to do to resolve the child protection issues that still remain for the victims of St. John's Ambulance Ireland and all of the other children that the current crew has access to?