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Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2014

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Questions (86)

Niall Collins

Question:

86. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the issues of concern surrounding the Magdalen institutions and Bethany Home will be included in the commission of investigation to establish the facts surrounding mother and baby homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26696/14]

View answer

Written answers

Responsibility for determining the terms of reference for mother and baby home Commission of Investigation fall primarily within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. My Department has input into the process through the Inter Departmental Committee established by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. It is my understanding that Bethany Home will be included in the Commission of Investigation.

My primary concern is the interests of the 500 or so women known to have been in Magdalen laundries and who have applied for benefits under the Magdalen scheme. The facts available regarding Magdalen laundries have already been set out in detail in the McAleese report which exceeds 1,000 pages. The women concerned have received an apology from the Taoiseach, have had the opportunity to relate their stories to both Mr McAleese and Judge Quirke and are entitled to receive a capital sum of up to €100,000 depending on duration of stay as well as life long pension top up payments and access to medical services.

I have seen no indication that these 500 women or a portion thereof wish to be called before a Commission of Investigation to give evidence and possibly be subject to cross examination. Indeed all the indications to date have been that the women did not wish to go through such a process. The McAleese report did address the question of links between Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalen Laundries. His statistical analysis of the known entry routes into Magdalen laundries for the period 1920 onwards showed that less than 4% of entries were from Mother and Baby Homes and Adoption Societies.

In light of the above, there is a question as to how extending the terms of reference for mother and baby homes Commission of Investigation to include the Magdalene Laundries would be in the interest of or be of any benefit to the women in question.

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