Gerard Craughwell (Independent)

There is a lot I would like to say but as my colleague, Senator Victor Boyhan, pointed out in his various contributions during the passage of the Bill, we are here to give voice to the voiceless. With the permission of the Cathaoirleach, I have been granted permission to read a letter from Sheila O'Byrne into the record of the Seanad. These are her words, not mine:

I Sheila O Byrne, who is an Institutional Church and State Survivor Mother, incarcerated in Mother and Baby institution I am writing this letter as I have supported institutional industrial survivors, the traveling community in the system many years, I listened individually to the horrific drama and treatment of abuse by the hands of the church and state they were children taken brought to court by the hands of the cruelty man award of court little children not knowing why taken, placed in church and state system taken by the cruelty man, branded as criminals little children brought and locked away into a system no compassion abused by the hands of the powers to be inside the walls controlled inhumanly little children treated lesser than less never allowed to speak out, some of the children were taken because their mother died not allowed be looked after by their own family sisters and brothers taken away brought separated in to different institutions little children age of innocence interfered with by the hands of the cloth and lay people in their care for years up to sixteen years eighteen years when released no accommodation no money given only clothing, other children their mothers had mental break downs and put in to mental asylums abused, sexually in the care by the church and state also lay people, under their care took advantage medical profession ignored the abuse mothers taken trafficked in to the mother and baby institutional system after giving birth babies taken adopted against the mothers will no other choice given church and state lay down a law sentenced for the terrible crime for breaking the original sin no matter what situation the mothers were in god him self would not have created a law invented by the church and state church of Ireland played its role same system we have to remember babies little children mothers who didn't survive from behind the walls buried in unmarked graves all over Ireland very few survivors who died in the hands of church and state acknowledged in death buried in sacred grounds also whom died in the asylums acknowledged in death, I am proud to be a voice for the survivors of the industrial institutions for our living and our dead as we are all connected I would add the funding of millions was given to survivors under a gagging system a code of silence instructed to each industrial survivor empowered on to children now grown up signed their voice taken of the horrific justice inflicted horrendously hiding the truths covering up the terrible wrongs protecting church and state who are the criminals whom should be brought to justice now in this present time there is 50 thousand left that was awarded to industrial institutional survivors who are crying out for help with needs of resourses housing health medical needs and medical card mental health which are not being given for the purpose to fecilitate each survivors needs which they truly deserve and are being ignored these are the children who were not cared by the church or the state it’s the Governments responsibility and duty as in the Irish Constitution its written all children will be sheltered and cared for up to the present day this year 2025 unfortunately institutional survivors who were children are still not looked after with the means they require if all is not bad enough, when we ask for support and help from these state funded agencies and advocates we are turned away time and time again and excuses made, not enough funding and not enough staff elderly men and women are offered silly courses and told about waiting lists for limited councilling services, one excuse after the other doors shut in our faces. Many forced to still work to support themselves, despite being broken mentally and physically, many living in homes not fit for purpose many unable to meet there own daily needs, some survivors are left with responsibility of caring for their siblings who were in industrial institutions isolated unable to complete simple tasks such as visiting the doctor, hospital appointments and even shopping Solicitors were complicit and some of their offices are still open to this day we are still here we are not a number on a spreadsheet, a statistic is it to much to ask that were listened to, not plamaused, that we can live out the reminder of our years in dignity and comfort. Every year we bury more and more, until well just be a search on google or an artefact in a 300 million euro museum on Sean Mc Dermot street, were people can come and say wasnt that terrible till were no more just a memory written by survivor Sheila O Byrne.

The Minister knows, I know and everybody in this room knows Sheila has been outside the gate of Leinster House for many years. I commend her on putting her thoughts on paper. They are not my words; they are her words from the heart. Having listened to my colleague Senator Victor Boyhan today and having listened to these ladies, it would draw the heart and soul out of you.

I want to say this before I take my seat. Unlike many Bills that have come to this House where the Minister appears for a few minutes and a junior Minister comes and takes over from there, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has been with us every step of the way. Her empathy was obvious right throughout the Bill. I know she is constrained by what her Department can and cannot do but I commend her on what she did and on having been here, and I thank her.