Ms Maria Ní Fhlatharta:

The issue of institutionalisation more broadly is incredibly nuanced. What happened to the women in the St. Mary's home is entirely not okay. We need to be careful to bear in mind two issues in this regard. One is ensuring that no one else enters an institution, because the system itself is very exploitative. However, we also have to be mindful of our duty of care to those who are currently experiencing the system of institutions and the need to ensure that, as we move away from our institutional past, it is done in a way that puts their needs, will and preferences to the fore. It is crucial that no one is forced into a position with which they are uncomfortable. It is an incredibly difficult issue for people. Many of the women in the system experienced institutionalisation their entire lives. They had no idea what it was to live in a family or community and the idea of doing so at that point in their lives was impossible. Obviously, their voices are the most important things within the system. That was not how it played out but it is how it should have been.

That being said, we need to be very careful that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past and that no one else enters an institution. We have to resist newer forms of institutions. As the Senator acknowledged, we have seen many different forms of institutions in our history and in our present. While we continue to default to the institutional model, whether that be in the form of smaller, more nicely named institutions or institutions for other groups, such as those in direct provision or in homelessness hubs, we need to be mindful that full community and independent living is the solution and the goal.