Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity given by the House for statements on mother and baby homes in the Dáil tonight and I thank my colleagues on all sides of the House for facilitating these statements. I would like to begin by acknowledging the Irish women who were in mother and baby homes in this country in the last century and the children that they bore while in those institutions. Their personal stories are harrowing. The legacy of past cruelties continues to make itself felt. Indeed in recent days in the media, we have heard from women who spent time in mother and baby homes and from some of the children who came into the world in those institutions. Many of those affected want their stories told. Others may wish to have privacy and we must be respectful of that choice.

I am appealing to those within and outside Leinster House to be sensitive in their choice of language when referring to these matters. Thanks to the patient research of Catherine Corless, we know that 796 children died in the mother and baby home run by the Sisters of Bon Secours in Tuam during the period from 1925 to 1961.

Each one of those 796 children was an individual, a citizen, a son or daughter. The matters under consideration concern real people and I appeal for this fact to be borne in mind. We are dealing with personal histories in this regard and it is not the time for sensationalism.

Equally, insensitive language has been used in the rush to cast blame. Undoubtedly, many individuals are culpable for the cruelties of the past but I want to acknowledge the reality that Irish society as a whole colluded in maintaining the regime of mother and baby homes. If we are to face up the truth of our past as a nation, and I strongly believe that we must, then we must resist temptation to simplify our history.

The revelations about the Tuam mother and baby home, in particular in the context of the questions raised over the way in which burials were conducted and the high rates of child and infant mortality, brought to public attention a dark aspect of our history in terms of how single mothers were treated in the not too distant past. Members on all sides of the House and the wider public were absolutely appalled by the reports emanating from Tuam. It was immediately apparent, however, that the Tuam home could not be considered in isolation. Over the past few days, there has been a growing appreciation of the complexity of the matters that fall to be examined. Infant mortality and burial arrangements are but two aspects of the difficult range of matters to be considered in the context of mother and baby homes. I would like the commission of investigation to consider matters beyond child and infant mortality and burial. Questions remain unanswered about the nature of adoptions and vaccine trials. Significant legal difficulties have been identified in seeking answers to these questions in the past and it is my intention that the commission of investigation can make progress where past investigations have failed.

It is my considered view that we owe it to the women who were in mother and baby homes and the children born to them in those institutions to take a reasoned, professional approach to ensure we move with a sense of urgency without failing to appreciate the breadth of issues that need to be considered in the context of the forthcoming investigation. That is why, as an initial step, I established a group comprising senior officials across a range of Departments to gather information and report to Cabinet on the means by which this complex, disturbing and tragic situation can be best addressed. Having received a preliminary update from the group, the Cabinet agreed earlier to establish a commission of investigation with statutory powers to investigate mother and baby homes. The work of the interdepartmental group will continue no later than 30 June and its completed work will inform the Government's decisions on the terms of reference and composition of the commission. The interdepartmental group will complete its work before the end of the month. A huge volume of records, data and information exists and the group is endeavouring to identify where that information is stored. Along with the eight key Departments involved, the National Archives is represented on the group, as is the Office of Public Works. To date, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop Neary, Bishop Buckley of Cork and Archbishop Michael Jackson have all expressed support for an investigation into mother and baby homes. I very much welcome the support expressed and I call on all church leaders to fully co-operate and to lend their unqualified practical support to the commission of inquiry.

Excellent work has been carried out by a number of historians to get to the truth of the history of mother and baby homes in our State. I commend Ms Catherine Corless, in particular, for her patient work in researching the Tuam home. She has been an eloquent advocate for the children who died there over a 40 year period.

Today's Government decision to establish a commission of investigation underlines the seriousness of our approach to these matters. Since coming into power, the Government has shown its willingness to confront and shine a light into the dark aspects of our recent social history. A commission of investigation offers a reasonably efficient approach to matters of urgent public concern. Under the Commission of Investigations Act 2004, a commission has the power to conduct its investigation in any manner it considers appropriate within the parameters of the legislation. It must seek and facilitate the voluntary co-operation of people whose evidence it requires. It is entitled to compel witnesses to give evidence and it can direct a person to provide it with any documents in the person's possession or power relating to the matter under investigation. If a person fails to comply, the commission can apply to the court to compel compliance or it may impose a costs order against the individual for the costs incurred by all other parties arising from the delay.

It is also of significance that the approval of the order establishing a commission must be approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas and, in this context, I welcome the support of colleagues on all sides in regard to the Government's commitment to investigate matters relating to mother and baby homes. I thank members of the Opposition who responded positively to my invitation to meet today in respect of these matters.

The terms of reference of the commission of investigation have yet to be established but work is under way in that regard. I would welcome further engagement on all sides of the House in progressing these matters. I very much welcome the growing national consensus in politics, in the churches and among the public that it is essential that we as a people do not shy away from our past. As well as implementing transparency in governance as we move forward, we must seek to bring transparency and openness to the actions of the past. I believe today's Government agreement to establish a commission of investigation presents an historic opportunity for our country to take a united approach in our commitment to dealing with one of the most tragic and traumatic chapters in modern Irish history.

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