Victor Boyhan: Call for Debate on Boarded-Out Survivors

Thank you, Cathaoirleach. Cathaoirleach, I just want to raise one issue today, and that is the Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse held a press conference. Indeed, I don't recall any senators there, but there were a number of deputies there. It was packed. It was extensively covered in all media today. And I think it is yet a reminder of a lot of unfinished business. And we heard a heart-rendering story from a man that was taken to Kerry and ended up basically being boarded out, and how the enormous emotion that he shared with us of the separation of his brothers and the impact that it had on his life. This man had an extraordinary story. I'd never heard it before. Many of the journalists were there, were deeply moved by it. And what it related to is the boarding out. There are many aspects to institutional abuse, and we talk about abuse in terms of emotional abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and it comes in many forms, and sometimes a combination of all. And, of course, the great tragedy is that there were thousands and thousands of children, both men and boys and girls, who were farmed out, who were separated from families. This was aided and abetted by the institutions of the state and the church. They were historically of a time, and things have moved on. But as someone who is committed to agriculture, who's represented on the agricultural panel for over 10 years now, it is one of the things that's drawn to me from my own experience, but true to thought, that young children, five, six, and seven, were housed in barns and sheds, not with the family of the children, were out picking stones that worked as slaves seven days a week. Stories of children that were forced to eat swill rather than food. Stories of children that were held back from any education. But the greatest sin of all was to break the link from their brothers and sisters. And yesterday we heard the story of the man that went on the bus to Kilgarvan and then was wrenched away from his brother and taken up to another family in Kerry, not that far away, but for 10 years never connected and never met. That's all been validated, and we heard all that story yesterday. And again, there was no commitment to link him in. And so that has its emotional and physical and mental scars on people, and then you go on later on. But the government have acknowledged the differences. I want to draw a particular reference to the Taoiseach, because the Taoiseach, and I'm only talking about the boarding out here today, because there are many aspects that were covered yesterday, but I want to talk, the Taoiseach, you know, did give an apology and a recognition of the state's apology about the boarded out people, but nothing's happened. And we were told yesterday that restitution that never came, that was the story about the boarded out survivors, they are still excluded from any financial redress despite repeated recognitions of the wrongdoing by the state. Indeed, I sat in the chamber some weeks back now with the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, who I know has a huge sympathy and empathy with this particular issue, spoke for the apology, but the redress has not been given. So what I would say, Minister, is I want to thank the Special Advocate, Patricia Carey, I want to thank the people that shared their story with us in Boswell's Hotel at the press thing yesterday, press release and the press launch, and I'd ask the Leader that I'd like if we could have a debate just specifically on the boarded out families, to let's look at that again and see what practical measures, because there's more than, redress is more than money, it's about practical supports, but I'd like to have a targeted conversation, respectful conversation, with the relevant government departments to see what we can do to progress the matter on what is about justice and redress. Thank you.