Gerard Craughwell (Independent)

Let us never forget about the institutions we are talking about and that the horrific things that took place in these institutions was known far and wide within our society. I remember the great threat as a child was that if you misbehaved, you would find yourself in Letterfrack. People knew that if you went there, you were going to be subjected to brutality, at least, if not other sorts of abuse. Key people in our society knew what was going on. Doctors, nurses and teachers knew what was going on. Blind eyes were turned everywhere. As my colleague Senator Boyhan pointed out, thanks to the bravery of the women who are sitting in the Gallery and their colleagues, we are learning and people are gaining the courage to come out and tell their story and nobody should be excluded.

I go back to what I said the last day we were here. This predates the Minister. It even predates me and I am 72. It goes back a long way. Institutions made a lot of money out of the labour of those incarcerated in those places. Worse still, they made money out of the sale of babies. Somehow or another, they are walking away free. We must not close the door to anybody.