Like Senator Byrne, I welcome the announcement by the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and the Government decision on the need for an investigation into the mother and baby homes, the incidence of abuses within them of the women and children, and the manner of death and the high mortality rates in those homes. Given that many of those children who ended up in industrial schools had been born in mother and baby homes, there is a good deal of information already before different commissions. Having in the past represented survivors of abuse in the industrial schools, I am aware of how often these institutions of confinement were interlinked and how, to the shame of all of us, for many decades of the 20th century there was a network of institutions in which women and children were confined.

While the church and the church organisations certainly bear a large responsibility, equally so do the State and society more generally. Increasingly, one sees an acknowledgement that many women ended up in mother and baby homes because their families no longer would accommodate them. This is a sad truth on which we also should reflect as we embark on a further investigation, which I very much welcome.

I also congratulate SAFE Ireland on the event it organised today on another issue that again should bring shame on Irish society, namely, the incidence of domestic violence and domestic abuse in Ireland. SAFE Ireland organised an event today in Temple Bar which I was glad to attend in the company of a number of other female colleagues from both Houses. This was the event, entitled "On Just One Day", in which SAFE Ireland wished to highlight the incidence of domestic violence in Ireland through providing a window, that is, a visual representation of an ordinary day in Ireland, 5 November 2013, on which 467 women and 229 children were accommodated or received support from a SAFE Ireland domestic violence service. Being the national organisation representing front-line domestic violence services, SAFE Ireland is well placed to illustrate to Members the extent of the incidence of domestic violence and how much they must ensure stronger legislative and legal responses to it. While Members have had a number of debates on domestic violence, I ask the Leader for a debate in early course on the report by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which is in the process of producing a report on domestic violence resulting from a series of hearings the joint committee has held. Its members have heard strong testimony about the need for various legal changes and it would be good to have this debate in the Seanad. While the Minister intends to bring forward legislation on this issue, hopefully later this year, and I hope there will be a move towards ratification of the Istanbul Convention, I note there are a number of specific legal issues regarding the ratification of the convention, notably pertaining to the property rights of perpetrators or alleged perpetrators. Consequently, Members could have a good debate on this issue in this House.

I also welcome the announcement of the commission of inquiry into the story of the mother and baby homes across the country. I have been greatly impressed by the commentary of some figures in this debate and in particular, I single out the local historian, Ms Catherine Corless, both for her great work and for the reasonableness with which she has addressed the issues that have been under debate. Unfortunately, I do not believe we have been so well served by the media, whose coverage on this issue has been mixed and the quality of their coverage has been patchy to say the least. We are not well served by international media, perhaps assisted by ideological elements in the media in Ireland, who wish to promote and perpetuate a particular narrative of Ireland.

The truth is what should matter and the truth will be very painful for our society to consider. In all that we do, we must not lose sight of the lack of respect for children and the lives of children in our country and abroad as it goes on at present. Let not the truth-telling that is so important in respect of these homes distract us or allow us to be hypocritical in respect of our failure to care for people properly in our society today. I wish to make one particular point in this regard, which is we have not been well served by politicians who have engaged in a degree of profile building on the back of this issue. It was too early to be using words like "manslaughter" or "genocide", whether in this House or the next. All Members must be extremely careful not to instrumentalise the very tragic stories involved simply to get short-term coverage. While it is a legitimate aim for politicians to try to get attention in the media, please not on the back of these unfortunate people.

I ask that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government come into the House to discuss the issue of the operation of the building control regulations. I have heard from a friend in east Galway who finds himself facing several thousand euro, up to €10,000, in additional costs because of the operation of these building regulations. He told me the money he had put aside to put the windows and doors into the new home he plans to build on his own land will be swallowed up by these costs and he does not know whether he can proceed with the project.

It seems that these regulations make a lot of sense in the context of Priory Hall-type developments, in which large contractors engaged in shoddy practices and used shoddy materials. I also am very much in favour of ensuring high standards.

I note there is an online petition by people - small people one might say - who want to build and are concerned about the operation of these regulations and the costs they will impose, particularly where money has already been spent on the planning process. I would like the Minister, who is a countryman himself, to debate this issue further with us.

I welcome the proposed publication of legislation on lobbying. This is long awaited legislation but what it contains is important. It is, for example, important that a required cooling-off period be introduced between the time a Government employee ceases work and subsequently begins employment as a lobbyist. We will also have to give careful consideration to the definition of "lobbying intent" and to distinctions between official and private contacts among lobbyists and public officials. It seems to me that would not be appropriate and I look forward to seeing the legislation.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs that a statutory commission of investigation will be established to investigate the matters arising in the mother and baby home in Tuam and in other institutions. It has been less than two weeks since I raised this matter in the House. There was no delay by the Government because it is taking the matter extremely seriously. Given the ongoing public interest and the wider issue of apparently significantly higher rates of infant mortality in such homes as compared with the wider population at the time, I am asking the Leader to arrange a debate on the matter in the House this week and to invite the Minister to attend. In the absence of concrete facts on Tuam, and although there is ample material to warrant an inquiry, I suggest that the debate should concentrate on the wide-ranging and comprehensive research on such institutions in general, including allegations of medical trials and forced adoption. I am sure such a debate will assist the Minister when the terms of reference of the inquiry are being drawn up. It frustrates me greatly that we as a society only get to grips with our terrible social history when something comes to light that galvanises the international media. It is time we discussed these matters in a calm manner and, in doing so, leave our prejudices, political and otherwise, outside the door.