Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 October 2022
143. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on establishing an independent review of the testimony given by survivors to the Confidential Committee of the Commission of Investigation into Mother-and-Baby Homes and certain related matters. [50331/22]
View answerThe Confidential Committee module was created alongside the Commission's inquisitorial process to allow those with lived experience of the institutions to provide their accounts as informally as possible. Although this was envisaged as a way to allow the truth as survivors wanted it told to emerge, I am mindful that this has not happened for many. I have always recognised the importance of these testimonies. This is why I went to some lengths to secure the audio recordings when originally they were believed to have been deleted.
Many of the witnesses who described their personal experiences to the Confidential Committee did so in the legitimate expectation that their confidentiality would be protected after the dissolution of the Commission. I know the anger and frustration many survivors felt when they saw their testimonies abbreviated, or condensed with the testimonies of others. They wanted their own words to stand as part of the historical record. This is what I want to achieve too.
I believe that a new process with the capacity to record, preserve and recognise survivors’ personal accounts, presents the most meaningful opportunity to address the concerns expressed to me. Such a process can restore choice and agency to survivors. The accounts will be housed in the National Centre for Research and Remembrance. This rightly places the lived experience of survivors at the heart of our National Archives in a visible and powerful way.
This new initiative will focus on respectful recording and acknowledgement of the lived experiences of those who spent time in institutions. The process will have a statutory basis and operate with the consent of participants. Those who recounted their experiences to the Confidential Committee will have the option of permitting the reuse of this testimony and/or offering new or additional oral or written testimony. Importantly, the process will be underpinned by human rights principles and overseen by a team with expertise in human rights, trauma and memory, communications and oral history.
In advancing our deliberations we are consulting with relevant legal and technical experts to develop the initiative in the context of work on the National Centre for Research and Remembrance. Most importantly, we will also consult survivors on their views. This initiative demonstrates the State’s willingness to hear and formally acknowledge the deeply personal accounts of survivors. I will bring specific proposals on the initiative to Government for approval by the end of the year.
