Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I compliment all speakers on their detailed research and the preparation of their statements. I compliment the former Minister, Deputy Woods, and the Government and I compliment the Taoiseach on his full apology to the unfortunate people who were abused in institutions for which the State had responsibility.

On behalf of the people of County Offaly, where there was an institution in Daingean, I apologise for the injustices done to people in that institution in my county. Daingean reformatory had football and hurling teams and I played alongside some of the boys from that institution. Some of the boys were very good hurlers and footballers and I recall one boy who hurled alongside me on the Offaly minor team. Some of the stories he relayed to me and others do not bear repeating.

Certain members of the clergy, gardaí and school principals sought, for very little reason, to have young boys committed to institutions. Problems existed but the solution to those problems was not to put boys into reformatories. Responsibility rests on several such people for what happened. The guilty must put their hands up and apologise to those unfortunate people.

I welcome the financial commitment made by the religious congregations, who bear no obligation. We had a responsibility to deal with problems we ourselves created in not properly supervising the institutions. The contribution of the religious congregations should not be treated lightly.