Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 January 2015
161. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters will include investigation into citizens of the Twenty-six Counties who were forcibly relocated to the north of Ireland during the time period examined. [1947/15]
View answer162. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters will ensure that the commission investigates the experiences of children and mothers who were transferred from the Republic of Ireland to homes in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1995/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 162 together.
I announced the proposed Terms of Reference for the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters last week. Relevant details are available on my Department’s website. In developing the Terms of Reference due regard has been given to the emphasis on “Mother and Baby Homes” in the motion approved by Dáil Eireann on the 11th June 2014 and the investigation will examine a wide agenda of matters in relation to these homes. The investigation will thoroughly examine the experience of the many mothers and children who were resident in a Mother and Baby Home over the period 1922-1998. These institutions have not been the central focus of previous statutory investigations.
The Commission is tasked with investigating the nature of the relationships between Mother and Baby Homes and other key institutions – these include children’s homes; orphanages; and adoption societies. As identified during the scoping work, some of these pathways may have led to mothers and children travelling into the State from other jurisdictions, or leaving the State as part of the exit pathway from these homes for example to Northern Ireland, Britain and the United States, etc and Article (1)(VII) of the Terms of Reference provides for the Commission to investigate these matters. While the statutory powers of the Commission do not extend beyond the Republic of Ireland it is expected that the Commission will explore how best to it might follow such pathways through cooperation with other relevant authorities.
