Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2021
256. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he or his Department released copies of the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes to journalists ahead of it being made available online to survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3182/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe media have an important public service to perform in covering an issue as detailed and important as the Commission's Report. At 8:00am on the morning of Tuesday 12th, some members of the media were provided with electronic access to a copy of the report to facilitate detailed coverage, under very strict embargo. This practice provides that a detailed, sensitive and informed public discourse can take place, and follows practice employed in publication of other reports of such magnitude. The journalists who were given this access abided by that embargo to ensure that no elements of the report came into the public domain prior to survivors joining the Taoiseach and the Minister at a webinar at 1:30pm, and before it was published at 3pm.
It is a matter of deep regret that details of the Commission's Final Report were leaked to a Sunday Newspaper ahead of its publication. It is important to state that this coverage did not originate from the access provided by my Department under embargo on the day of publication as this was done two days later.
I contacted survivors immediately on learning of this coverage and that matter is now under investigation. I understand why many survivors are feeling hurt and let down that any element of the Report was leaked to the media in this manner. This is not what had been planned and it should not have happened. This issue was discussed at Government level and the Secretary General to the Government is leading an investigation into these matters. I await the outcome of this process.
