Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As I have five minutes only, I will direct and make my comments in a focused manner.

As the Minister can imagine, trust is essential. As has been acknowledged, she received a letter on 16 January about basic issues, one of which is access to records. An individual has been to the High Court eight times to gain access to records on his sister. Another issue is the provision of a dedicated counselling service. There are also issues about care, the provision of medical cards and housing. If these basic needs cannot be met in a speedy and efficient manner, talking about the United Nations, human rights and a consultative forum is absolute nonsense. I do not wish to be unduly critical, but, as someone who comes from Galway, I have both personal and professional experience of the home and read every document on it.

Let me put this issue in perspective. In 2012, during the course of the work of the interdepartmental working group, issues in relation to mother and baby homes, in particular, those in Bessborough and Tuam, were highlighted in an internal memorandum. I raised the issue with the Minister months ago. It stated there were serious concerns about patient safety, medical care, accounting irregularities and possible interference with birth and death certificates, etc. There were two briefing documents on a scandal that will dwarf all others. There was also correspondence from major figures in the Catholic Church looking for babies to be sent to America. Notwithstanding the good men who signed their names and said there must be action, the memorandum was ignored and not acted on. There was no follow-up action. Then we had the good work of the journalist Conall Ó Fátharta and a local historian, Catherine Corless, who between 2011 and 2013, after that work, highlighted 796 names. She paid €4 for each death certificate. She outlined that there had been newborn babies and children up to nine years of age and that one child had died every fortnight. Not only was there silence there was also outright denial. On behalf of the Bons Secours Sisters, Ms Terry Prone responded to a documentary maker by saying:

If you come here, you'll find no mass grave, no evidence that children were ever so buried and a local police force casting their eyes to heaven and saying "Yeah, a few bones were found - but this was an area where Famine victims were buried. So?"

That was the official response given through a communications firm.

The commission was set up in February 2015 and the Government was shamed into setting it up. It had a number of targets that were not met and we hear today that it wants a further extension. Serious questions must be asked. Why were sufficient resources not provided? Why was there not a scoping exercise of sufficient strength and scope to allow this detailed and necessary work to be done within the time allocated? It will now enter its fourth year.

In terms of trust, each and every report has been delayed, with the exception of the first interim report which simply asked for an extension of time. The second was received by the Minister in September 2016 and published in April 2017. The commission felt the necessity to publish a report to highlight the fact that the manner in which unaccompanied children in mother and baby homes had been excluded from the redress system or an alternative redress system defied logic. There was no answer from the Government. The commission was simply ignored.

The technical report was on the Minister's desk in June 2017. Certainly, the options were on her desk. The full report was on it in September 2017 and published on 5 December 2017. Again, there was a significant delay. There is a four page document - a note - that does absolutely nothing in the report to set the context at that stage, more than two years after it had been set up. It is a descriptive note that places nothing in context and makes no provisional conclusions.

The discovery by the commission in March in 20 chambers, partially examined, of human remains caused international headlines. What is important for us, survivors and the families is what happened in the excavation. Where is it at? What about the role of the coroner? Under law the coroner has a serious statutory role to play. Where is the report on his role? What inquests have been carried out? When were they carried out? If none was carried out, why not?

There was talk tonight of consultation and collaboration which was welcomed by Deputies. That is their business and they may well see the need for it, but I see the need for honesty, open communication with survivors and their families and respect and dignity that are absolutely lacking. I am not speaking about the Minister in a personal capacity; I am talking about the delays. When I examine page 56 of the technical report and the five options to which I will come back if the Acting Chairman will allow me-----

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