Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I am acutely aware of the importance of the commission of investigation and of how much the report is anticipated by the former residents and their families. The commission's final report is due to be submitted to me by 30 October 2020. It is important to understand that when the commission submits its final report to me, I will have to address a number of procedural matters before I can seek the approval of the Government to publish it. This will necessitate engagement with the Attorney General, as the Government's legal adviser, and consequently there will be an interval between the delivery of the report to my Department and the making of the separate arrangements for its publication. No commission publishes its report directly. I am aware that the anguish felt by many former residents of mother and baby homes and their families has been prolonged by the commission's need for additional time but I believe they understand the commission is investigating very important, sensitive, personal material and actions that took place over the span of 75 years.

It is important to reiterate that the commission is completely independent in the conduct of its investigations. It must act within the terms of reference it operates under and the previous Government, when it granted a number of extensions, was always satisfied the commission endeavoured to conclude its report as quickly as possible. The priority must be to safeguard the substantial work that has been done in order that the commission can comprehensively address and conclude these crucial matters as quickly as possible. I share the desire of all the interested parties to see the commission conclude its work and look forward to receiving the final report at the end of October. Our duty to the women and children who passed through these institutions is to ensure their lived experiences are shared, acknowledged and understood. I will keep former residents and Members of this House informed of the situation when the report is received and it is my intention to publish it as soon as possible.

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