Mary Lou McDonald
Question:38. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of all State apologies that he has issued since he assumed office. [25804/22]
View answerWednesday, 13 July 2022
Questions (38)
Written answers
Since taking office I have issued one formal apology in the Dáil, on behalf of the State, for the hurt experienced by many former residents of Mother and Baby Institutions and County Homes. I apologised for the profound generational wrong visited upon Irish mothers and their children who ended up in a Mother and Baby Home or a County Home and for the shame and stigma which they were subjected to.
As part of that apology I acknowledged that the State had failed in its duty of care to the mothers and children who spent time in these institutions.
This apology was one of the first steps taken by Government to respond to the findings of the report. The overall response is being driven by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth who is now working to advance the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby Homes and County Home Institutions. The Action Plan commits to a suite of 22 Actions across eight key themes:
- A survivor-centred approach
- A formal State Apology
- Access to Personal Information
- Archiving and Databases
- Education and Research
- Memorialisation
- Restorative Recognition
- Dignified Burial
Since publication of the Plan, two quarterly progress updates have been published - at end February and end May.
The focus has been on advancing three substantial pieces of legislation - the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022, the Institutional Burials Bill 2022 and the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.
Government has also approved proposals for the development of a National Centre for Research and Remembrance. This Centre will stand as a memorial to all those who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, Industrial Schools and Magdalen Laundries.