Dáil debates

Thursday, 15 March 2012

12:00 pm

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

Some people got in late on the act. Like previous speakers, I acknowledge the visitors in the Gallery and pay tribute to the women who have courageously pursued this issue for many years. It is a humbling experience for us to be present today. I was sorry I could not stay for the full presentation last night but we had to speak in the Chamber.

Nobody could say they were glad to be present today for that is impossible, but it is a recognition of what went on. It is an important acknowledgment by the State of the crimes committed against many of the women present today, crimes which led to the suffering endured by them and their families for decades. It is important that the Dáil acknowledges this. It was the butchering of women's bodies, without their consent, for no medical reason. It is truly horrific even to stand in this Chamber and talk about it. Marie O'Connor described it as a life sentence without remission. The procedure was the severing of one of the main pelvic joints, the sundering of pubic bones and the unhinging of the pelvis. It occured before, during and after labour and women were expected to endure it. It is horrendous that people were put through that.

It is important that we acknowledge the wrong done to these women but that is not good enough. People have endured this for decades. They have put up with it and have campaigned for justice in its regard. Today, we must do much more than acknowledge that a crime was committed, important though that may be. People need answers about why this happened to them. They need those responsible to be identified and called to account. They need the State to acknowledge it failed in its duty of care to prevent this from happening. Crucially, they need measures put in place so that all victims can get redress and have access to benefits and entitlements they should have as of right. That is not happening.

I noted the Minister's speech and the reports he commissioned. I asked him about the matter before Christmas - it was delayed. Today, the Minister told us he is awaiting further legal advice before he consults with the groups. I must agree with Deputy Ó Caoláin that this is a little disappointing. The issue has been discussed in this House for more than ten years yet even today half-truths are being put about. The first thing this debate must achieve is a full acknowledgment of what happened. The Minister must stop peddling a certain half-truth, namely, that symphysiotomy was a normal procedure that happened at the time and that although what happened to the victims was shocking and terrible we have moved on from that now and things are better. It was just a routine that happened in order to deal with difficult births.

We must nail that lie. That is not true. Unless we address that issue we will not get any nearer to dealing with the issue. Symphysiotomy was never medically necessary. Information that verifies this is available from medical experience throughout Europe. It was deemed to be too dangerous, a barbaric act, a mutilation. The Minister stated it continued until the 1980s but there were cases even in the early 1990s. This is part of our modern history and the women in the Gallery are living testament to it. We have a chance now to do something about it.

As historical records show, it was not a procedure used in emergencies but in many instances was a scheduled procedure by medical staff. It was not the case that caesarean sections were not practised or were not safe during the 1940s and 1950s. They were. That is a false statement. The reality of what happened was far worse than those half-truths which are being put out on the advice of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which has a vested interest because its members were guilty of the acts in the first place. The reality is this was a practice, found in Catholic hospitals in the main, which affected 1,500 women. In essence, medical staff abused their position of medical power to carry out and deform women. It was part of an ethos that sought to control the reproductive rights of women. Women were seen as child-bearing vessels and because caesarean sections might limit the number of children they could have it was considered permissible to break their pelvis, in particular on the first child, and for young women, to enable them to have many children. As we have heard, in many cases this took place without consent being sought. People were sent home after major surgery and were not even told what had happened to them.

What does this say about our attitude to women who were denied the basic right to control or have a say about surgery being carried out on their bodies? A moral attitude was imposed on people by some medical practitioners in spite of best medical practice in place at the time. That is a crime. It is an abuse by those who were in position and people must be called to account for it. There is documentary evidence which links this practice to an over-zealous Catholic ethos that was promulgated by the likes of Archbishop McQuaid in order to impose a certain moral viewpoint on society, the health and well-being of women notwithstanding.

Anything that prevented birth had to be opposed and the rights of women were secondary. I find that abhorrent and it was a violation of human rights. If we acknowledge that point, we must acknowledge that corrective action must take place. Therefore, out of today's debate we need a number of corrective actions to be taken. We need an absolute commitment to lifting the statute bar to allow women to seek redress for the crimes perpetrated against them. It is urgent given the age profile of the women and their need to access it quickly. That is not onerous; it is a reasonable demand proposed by symphysiotomy survivors. The idea of an independent commission of inquiry is crucial. There is too much reliance on the opinion of professional medical people to advise the Minister in this regard and we need to step back. It is not good enough that these people investigate themselves. It is inadequate that no person or agency has been held accountable for this. It must stop if we are to move on.

The special Survivors of Symphysiotomy medical card should be available to all but it is not. Documented evidence available to the Minister and Members shows that many women have spent tens of thousands of euro trying to access medical assistance while they are receiving inadequate home help. They should have these benefits as a right, including a doctor of their choice, home help and more liaison officers. These important practical issues are the least these people deserve and while they do not undo the wrong they make the lives of these women easier. We have a chance to play our part, to reward the efforts of these women who have campaigned for justice over the decades. We can say that this crime ended today and that justice and redress began. We can be a part of changing modern Irish history, where we put it behind us on the correct basis.

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