Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raised this issue here before and asked for report to be published. We welcome the publication of the report of the mother and baby homes commission. I have spoken to many of the survivors and their families who are hurt that there is a risk their records will be locked away for 30 years. The survivors of these homes deserve to know the full truth of what went on and deserve to have an input on how their records are dealt with.

Members may remember last year dealing with the contentious Retention of Records Bill regarding the Ryan commission records. The Oireachtas education committee recommended that survivors who engaged and submitted their testimonies should have access to their own records. I ask the Tánaiste to listen to the thousands of survivors and their families who have contacted us over the past few days. Do not add further insult to what they have suffered by locking away their records for another 30 years. Change the legislation. Help those who are hurt, such as those who were in Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea in my country of Tipperary and in other homes throughout the country who suffered horribly. There can be no more cover-ups and no more hiding away records about this shameful period in our history.

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