Gerard Craughwell (Independent)

I, too, want to support Senator Stephenson's amendment.

I have a difficulty with the way we use the possibility of a charge on the Exchequer to say that certain amendments must be rejected. There is no absolute charge on the Executive by having an advocate in place. As my colleague Senator Boyhan has just pointed out, most of the people we are talking about are in their 60s. Most of them contributed to this State with their labour and got nothing in return. If people have to pay for advocacy, it should not be the State in the first instance, but those who caused them to be in the position they are in. It is wrong to reject Senator Boyhan's amendment. There needs to be a full-time advocate in place. Those who suffered in these organisations and institutions need to have a central place where they can go, such as former councillor Damian O'Farrell's organisation. There needs to be an office, a one-stop-shop that people can go to and that ensures they get everything they are entitled to. Too often, we see well-meaning legislation brought in by the State but people do not know how to access its provisions. I support the notion that we should have an advocate.