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

I am pleased to be back in the House to participate in a somewhat lengthier debate on mother and baby homes, following earlier statements. I thank Members on all sides for facilitating statements and the debate on mother and baby homes in the Dáil following the Government's significant decision during a Cabinet meeting this morning to establish a commission of investigation.

As Deputies are aware, it is less than four weeks since my appointment as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The matters we are considering are ones in which I have taken great interest during my years in politics, in particular as Fine Gael's spokesperson on justice and later on children and youth affairs. I am privileged to be in a position to bring a proposal to the Cabinet to establish a commission of investigation to examine mother and baby homes. As Minister, I intend to drive this process forward and ensure the commission of investigation will get under way in a timely manner. Once established, it will be independent in its work. My role, therefore, and that of the Government and the Oireachtas is to ensure it is given appropriate terms of reference and a suitable expert membership to enable it to succeed in its important work. My primary focus is on the women who spent time in mother and baby homes and the children born to them in these institutions. It is difficult for us in a more modern and enlightened era to understand the harrowing situations in which these vulnerable women and children found themselves. Many times I have referred to our desire as a Government, Parliament and people to discover the truth. In so doing, we must be very respectful of those who were in mother and baby homes, many of whom will want to tell their stories, while others will want to maintain their right to privacy.

The Government has proposed a revised motion on mother and baby homes. The motion before us deals with matters of great national concern and tremendous personal significance for many former residents of mother and baby homes. I acknowledge the spirit with which the motion has been laid before the House by Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and others. I, too, am anxious that we reach an historic consensus on how to proceed. I welcome the bipartisan nature of the wide support the Government's initiative in establishing the commission of investigation has received. I recognise that Sinn Féin's motion was tabled in a constructive manner. I know that Deputies Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Sandra McLellan gave careful consideration to the most effective approach to dealing with these sensitive issues. I know also that Deputy Mary Lou McDonald was particularly concerned that the Bethany Home be part of the proposed investigation. I can now confirm that Bethany Home will be examined as part of the process of investigation we have agreed to today. Moreover, I undertake to continue to engage with spokespersons as the Government finalises arrangements for the establishment of the commission.

In recent days we have witnessed a profound public debate on the role played by mother and baby homes and what it means for the country today. There has also been further questioning of the troubled history of our institutions, State and religious. There have been questions posed for the history of the communities and families to which we are individually affiliated for these institutions did not operate in isolation. Whereas in their day the women and children concerned were unjustly made to feel so much shame, we must now carry the shame for how as a country we dealt with them in their time of need. I was particularly struck by the content and tone of Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn's contribution. I listened carefully to the points made by him. I do not take issue with what he said. I listened carefully to the passionate contribution of Deputy Michael Colreavy. I am sure there are many others, me included, who might have availed of an opportunity in earlier times to question the manner in which we ordered our priorities or dealt with our business. The history of mother and baby homes in Ireland in the early and middle decades of the 20th century reflects a brutally, uncaring response by society, religious and State institutions to young women and children when they were in most need and most vulnerable. Young unmarried mothers were socially condemned and ostracised in a harsh and unsympathetic manner. These reminders of a wider and darker past, when children were not cherished, must be fully and openly addressed. The transparency to which we are committed as a Government in how we conduct our affairs must extend to our past.

When speaking about the harrowing situation in Tuam in the past week, I have been particularly mindful of the relatives of those involved and the local community. It is extremely important that the issues arising in Tuam and other mother and baby homes are addressed with the utmost sensitivity. There is no doubt that coverage in the past few days will have inevitably evoked very painful memories for people, many of whom are now elderly. It is for everyone who speaks and writes on this subject to do so with compassion and sensitivity. The known facts are sufficiently disturbing in themselves, without being added to through ill-advised speculation and sensationalism.

I say this to my political colleagues also. Responsibility and balance are important elements of the sensitive treatment and discussion of these issues. The very valuable role currently being played by historians in making their research known to the public is of great assistance in achieving an objective assessment but this must be added to by a formal process of inquiry. The commission of investigation will build upon what is known to bring us towards a thorough and comprehensive public understanding of the many issues involved as quickly and as accurately as possible.

As I indicated last week, the Government is strongly determined to have the issues reviewed, and we will not confine this review to Tuam or County Galway. This review into mother and baby homes will be independent and comprehensive. It will consist of a commission of investigation with full statutory powers and independence. The commission will be established under the Commissions of Investigation Acts, as passed by this House.

The commission's terms of reference, when finalised and brought before the House, will detail the matters to be investigated to ensure the scope of the investigation is described precisely. Under the Commissions of Investigation Act, a commission may consist of one or more members with appropriate experience, qualifications, training or expertise relevant to the matters being investigated. Where more than one member is appointed, a chairperson must be designated. The commission will seek the voluntary co-operation of people whose evidence it requires but is entitled to compel witnesses to give evidence where appropriate. It will also have powers to compel the production of documents. The detailed consideration of the most appropriate terms of reference for the commission will be undertaken speedily. I will welcome the views, submissions and observations of members of the Opposition in this regard. As the Taoiseach said today, I will be happy to engage with Opposition spokespersons in finalising arrangements for the commission of investigation. It is my hope that we can achieve consensus on the resolution approving the Government's draft order to establish the commission when it comes before each of the Houses of the Oireachtas for approval later this summer.

I know it is the earnest wish of this House that the commission of investigation discover the truth and establish what happened to mothers and infants in the mother and baby homes. Doing so will require us to craft carefully the terms of reference of the commission and choose its membership wisely.

The work under way by the interdepartmental committee, which was established last week, is preliminary in nature, but it is nevertheless playing a very valuable role in preparing the ground for the next phase, that of a formal commission of investigation. The issues involved are numerous and made more complex by the elapse of time. The work undertaken by the interdepartmental committee, which has been identifying the information available to public bodies, will assist in the process to establish the commission. The interdepartmental committee has commenced gathering information in relation to such matters as the Tuam site, the high mortality rates in various mother and baby homes, reports of conditions in these homes, and what happened to infants in these homes and what happened subsequently. This initial work will inform the drafting of the terms of reference and the resolution for this House to institute a commission of investigation into mother and baby homes.

It is essential that when we formally move to initiate the commission of investigation, we do so having a clear overview of these issues and the most important sources of information which any inquiry must have available to it. I believe there is all-party consensus on the importance of this matter and I hope that as we finalise the terms of reference for the commission of investigation and place the necessary resolution establishing the commission before both Houses of the Oireachtas next month we can do so on an agreed basis. It is the Government's intention to conclude this process as speedily as possible and return to the House before the summer recess.

Some factors that will need to be carefully considered are the scope of the inquiry and the range of issues to be included having regard to the task in hand and the effective conduct of the commission of investigation. Potentially, there are components that will demand a specific, tailored approach by the commission. A number of commentators have highlighted the fact that an important component of what is required here is a social history of these institutions. Significant historical research has been already undertaken in this area which can be drawn upon but significant further research is likely to be required, including into records held nationally and locally. It is important that the records made available include not just those held by public authorities but also those held by the relevant religious institutions. In this regard, I welcome the ready indications of co-operation that have been forthcoming from church leaders - from the Catholic Church, Archbishop Martin of the Dublin Archdiocese, Archbishop Neary of Tuam and Bishop Buckley of Cork and Ross, and from the Church of Ireland, Archbishop Michael Jackson of Dublin and Glendalough. I reiterate my call on all church leaders to co-operate fully with the forthcoming commission of investigation, and hand over all documents and information in their possession in regard to mother and baby homes.

The significant passage of time will likely have implications for the work of the commission. I hear what Members opposite have said, namely, that the passage of time should not in any way detract from the task at hand, but, nevertheless, time is a factor and will continue to be in the context of the work being undertaken. Many of those mothers who experienced mother and baby homes, certainly in their earlier days, are unfortunately no longer with us to offer their first-hand account. While many mothers have since passed on, there will be a range of views among all of those surviving - both mothers and children - as to how they would wish to see their records and personal experiences addressed in any inquiry. We need to take account of their wishes in the context of the ongoing public debate.

The challenge is to establish a commission of investigation in a manner that is capable of addressing these and other factors while effectively and properly representing the experiences of those involved and the wider social conditions that influenced how mother and baby homes operated in the State.

As I have done previously and as Members have acknowledged, I pay special tribute to Ms Catherine Corless, the local historian in County Galway whose work has brought this issue to the fore in recent weeks. I know from contact with officials that she has offered her co-operation, and this will be certainly of assistance as we embark on a wider examination of practices in mother and baby homes throughout the country, including than in Tuam, County Galway.

Detailed, painstaking work is required to ensure we can establish a true and clear picture of this part of our history. There are challenges inherent in this task but we must organise an effective investigation process and face up to our past and learn from it. The commission of investigation that the Government intends to establish will be the means by which we will achieve the goal - so widely shared inside and outside this House - to bring into full public view the operation of mother and baby homes in the State since its foundation.

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