Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A total of 798 babies and small children died at the Tuam mother and baby home in my home county of Galway. Many of the babies died because of malnutrition and neglect. They were buried in unmarked graves.

The horror of this reality, that 798 small children died in this way and that they were not given the dignity of a marked grave, is something that we, as a State, must recognise, and we must never let this happen again.

For those women who took part in the commission the objective was to be fully transparent. They laid their souls on the table in the hope they would finally get truth and justice. They have told us just how painful and traumatic it was to submit their evidence and tell their story. For many it was a reliving of the trauma they had endured in the mother and baby homes. Some have told me that their very personal stories were so horrendous they did not think they would be believed.

The mental and physical distress they are going through now, with the potential sealing of their testimonies for 30 years, the fact that once again the State is taking an attitude of locking away their realities, and their truths and lived experiences are being brushed under the carpet, is causing them huge pain. The reason these women took part in the commission was so that truth would finally be out. I want to quote some of these women that their experiences will be on the Dáil record.

Daily life was so bad that I attempted to run away twice with two other girls but they always found us and brought us back. On the second occasion we were caught by the police who returned us to the Convent.

I was in terrible pain and was afraid but when I screamed or called for help I was abused.

Three weeks ago, one woman said it was her dying wish to see justice. She was buried on the day this was being discussed in the Seanad. Sadly, the State failed her once more but it must not fail other women.

The Minister can change this and I urge him to be the Minister who finally recognises that what happened to these women was wrong and to be part of a Government that stands with these women. We must no longer hide from these horrors. The State must face the faults of the past and do better for victims of State-sponsored abuse. This can be done and the Minister can stand on the right side of history and on the side of these women.

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