Skip to main content
Normal View

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Questions (79)

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

79. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he has had with the Chair and authors of the Mother and Baby report since they made their report; if he is satisfied that the exclusion of the witness evidence from the main report was the correct approach; if the final report sufficiently addresses the issue of forced adoption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36284/21]

View answer

Written answers

The statutory Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was established and operated in accordance with the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. While a range of views have been expressed in reaction to the Commission’s Final Report, it is important to emphasise that the Commission was entirely independent in the performance of its functions and this independence was guaranteed in law.

It was a matter for the Commission alone to reach whatever conclusions it deemed possible based on its assessment of the wide range of evidence available to it, including through the work of the Confidential Committee.

Following submission of the Commission's final report, I met with Judge Murphy and Professor Daly in advance of bringing the report to Government, primarily to acknowledge the completion of their significant inquiry process. I was also in contact with the Commissioners earlier this year in an effort to establish the facts relating to the status of audio recordings of witness testimonies. It is a matter of record that the audio tapes were subsequently recovered. The tapes are now held by my Department and are accessible to individuals who seek access to their personal information in the archive under GDPR.

In terms of witness evidence, the value of the work of the Confidential Committee should not be underestimated. Its report is an essential element of the Commission’s final report – giving a window into the trauma and grief which has blighted the lives of vulnerable mothers and their children. I commend those who were so brave to come forward and take part in this process. It is not correct to say that these narratives were “discounted” or “discarded”. It has been confirmed that they were taken into account, and relied upon, by the Commission in making its determination on crucial questions. The Commission also examined many thousands of records related to adoption.

I fully understand the disappointment which some feel in relation to how their personal narratives have been relayed within the Confidential Committee report. I am conscious of the need for the lived experiences of those who attended the Confidential Committee, and other survivors, to be officially recognised as part of our history. I am exploring mechanisms to achieve this, and would hope to engage with survivors, in this regard.

Top
Share