Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Baineann mo cheist leis na hionaid máithreacha agus leanaí. Is féidir a rá d'aon ghuth nár caitheadh go maith leis na máithreacha ná leis na leanaí seo agus nár taispeánadh meas riamh orthu siúd a bhí ann. Ghlac an Taoiseach céim shuntasach breis agus mí ó shin chun fáil réidh leis an dímheas sin nuair a thug sé leithscéal ar a shon féin, ar son an Rialtais agus ar son mhuintir na tíre do na máithreacha agus do na leanaí. Cheap mise gur chéim iontach a bhí ann chun fáil réidh leis an dímheas. Faraor ghéar, táimid ag leanúint ar aghaidh ag caitheamh anuas ar na máithreacha agus ar na leanaí seo. Baineann mo cheist le taifead na fianaise atá scriosta.

Just over a month ago the Taoiseach took a very positive step by apologising and for the first time taking a step away from the terrible disrespect, to put it mildly, that was shown to the mothers and children in the various mother and baby homes. Trust is of utter importance and the Taoiseach's apology was the start of that. Since then on every level that trust has been repeatedly broken, specifically regarding the evidence that was given on the audio tapes. I raised this with the Taoiseach as have other Deputies. I would like a very clear answer from the Taoiseach today as to why that evidence was destroyed. Can it possibly be retrieved? I ask the Taoiseach to publish all the correspondence between him or the Minister and the commissioners on this matter.

Please do not tell me the commission is independent. More than anyone else, I am acutely aware of the independence of the commission. This has nothing to do with its independence. It has to do with the way it works.

Page 11 of the report states clearly that the commission destroyed the evidence and that this was always understood. That may well be but based on what most Deputies have heard, none of those who came forward understood that. Nowhere in any of the documentation that I carefully scrutinised before standing up here today is that made clear. I tried to table questions on this through the system for ordinary Dáil questions and they were ruled out of order. I appeal to the Taoiseach today beart a dhéanamh de réir a bhriathar and to take some meaningful action to give meaning to his apology. I ask him, first, to tell us what exactly the commission has said in this regard; second, to publish all of the correspondence; and third, tell us how this could possibly have happened. People came forward to give evidence, took their courage in their hands, believed in the system once again, or tried to believe in it, and are left now in a situation where there is no recording of their evidence. That was done on the basis that the commissioners knew best and were trying to protect them, with no evidence that this was communicated to them in any manner other than the commission's word.

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