Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I accept the Deputy's correction; they were sent there. They were ostracised by society. The girls concerned had in general become pregnant. No middle class children were sent to reformatories or industrial schools. Those sent were the marginalised children of the poor and those who were regarded as sinners. In many ways, they were regarded as less than human by church, State and society.

It is interesting to note that these children were fought over. Quotas were established for these schools because payments accompanied the children. I discovered an interesting letter dated 10 September 1937 in which Bishop Casey of Skibbereen chides the Department of Education for discriminating against the industrial school in Baltimore. Four days later, a report was sent to the Secretary General of the Department by the official concerned, who wrote that he could not see how effect could be given to the bishop's wishes to have Baltimore favoured to the extent indicated without inviting protest from other senior schools. He pointed out that, from 1 September to 31 October 1936, 21 transfers had been made from junior to senior schools in Cork city and county, of which 11 were sent to Baltimore, four to Greenmount and six to Upton. According to this official, the figures revealed that instead of being discriminated against, Baltimore had the best of the deal. These children were treated like cattle.

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