Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the representatives from Féileacáin and thank them for their comprehensive presentations. It is a very sensitive and emotional issue that affects many families in the country. I thank Mr. Roche for sharing his personal story, which includes considerable detail. The witnesses also gave an extremely comprehensive presentation which included considerable detail about how baby loss awareness day came about in America, Canada and Australia, which will be very useful to us. The presentation included considerable supporting letters from many organisations, including the Cork University Hospital maternity unit in Cork.

Obviously, through Mr. Roche, I got to know more of what Féileacáin does. I was not aware, however, that it also offers support for survivors of symphysiotomy and support for women whose babies died in mother and baby homes. The presentation is very comprehensive and outlines many of the goals the organisation wants to achieve. I thank the witnesses for bringing in the memory box and opening it up to show us what is inside. It is very emotional here this morning.

I have some questions on the baby loss awareness day. What would it mean to the witnesses to achieve that in Ireland? From where does Féileacáin get its funding? How can it survive and provide all the services it provides? If it did not provide these services, who would do it? I ask the witnesses to go through the cuddle cot again and explain it as I only caught it briefly.

I believe the baby loss awareness day is very important to families because they miss out on all their babies' milestones along the years such as first Holy Communion, first day at school, confirmation, graduation, wedding and grandchildren. It is useful to have that day to mark it. I am sure it is very important to families who have lost babies.

I have a question specifically for Mr. Roche. When he was aware of all this throughout Liz's pregnancy, did they receive bereavement counselling and who provided that?