Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank the Senators for their comments. For their own reasons, 15,000 people chose to present their cases to the redress board. The latter conceded that 94% of these individuals had valid cases and paid out compensation in varying amounts. I understand that the average amount paid was of the order of €60,000 plus. This was compensation for damage done - as a result of negligence on the part of the State - by the people who operated the residential institutions. We engaged in a comprehensive debate on this matter on Second Stage. However, there is a need to separate what I have just outlined from what we are doing here in the context of the recommendations in the Ryan report relating to assisting people to adjust to their own lives. What is at issue here is not additional compensation, per se, but rather a fund of €110 million. We will be able to collect this money from various religious congregations and others who have given commitments in that regard. However, as I indicated in reply to Second Stage, there are technical difficulties relating to the charitable status of many of the institutions involved and it will not be possible, therefore, to collect the money until the fund is legally established. Hopefully, that money will be collected in full. As I indicated yesterday, any money collected above €110 million will be dedicated to the children's hospital. Senator Norris asked questions, which were echoed by others, as to whether abuse could happen again. I will come to the vetting question in a moment. The Government, more than anyone else, has taken upon itself the responsibility of introducing a children's protection amendment to the Constitution. The House can have no doubt whatsoever about how difficult it will be when we begin to debate it because, in effect, to assert the rights of children in a minority of cases – Roscommon comes to mind in that regard – we will be enabling agents of the State to take away powers currently enjoyed by parents. That will be portrayed, perhaps even by some voices in this House, as an attack on the institution of the family. We should not expect a bed of roses when the debate begins. I suspect that some of the reasonable voices that articulate concerns at present will march to a different tune. I hope I am wrong but I am under no illusions about what will happen. One can only think back to the mother and child scheme as to how raucous voices can become and how reasonable arguments can get distorted.

I am aware of the difficulty with the Garda vetting procedure, which is not germane to the issue but has been raised. We are talking to the Teaching Council and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about removing the employment control framework signed up to by Fianna Fáil in the previous Government in the agreement with the troika. We are not masters of our own destiny. The Teaching Council has substantial reserves of money and could afford to pay staff to do the work. In excess of 14,000 teachers are not properly vetted at the moment but we hope to be able to address the issue.