Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The mother and baby homes commission was set up six years ago. Its job was to investigate one of the darkest periods in our State's history and provide some closure and a sense of justice to victims and survivors. Six years after the commission's establishment and its final report, it is unacceptable that we are discussing how the State has once again failed survivors. It is disgraceful. The events of recent weeks have re-traumatised survivors and this is not good enough. This commission was supposed to be a line in the sand that would give them closure. Instead, it has traumatised survivors and their families all over again.

It is not fair, it did not provide any comfort and it is certainly not what justice should look like.

We need emergency legislation to extend the term of the mother and baby homes commission before it ends on Sunday. The fact that tapes containing testimonies were deleted hurt survivors who were already severely traumatised by our State. That is simply shameful. The term of the commission has to be extended. Despite the Minister's announcement yesterday that the audio tapes have been located, there is still too much uncertainty surrounding this matter. All survivors must be comfortable before the commission is dissolved. What happened is not acceptable, and people want answers. If the Minister does not act now, his legacy will be that he let this happen and let survivors and victims down again. The term of the commission has to be extended if the Government is to have any shred of integrity left come Monday. I ask the Minister to do the right thing by the victims and survivors.

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