Dáil debates

Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Motion [Private Members]

 

12:00 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support the Social Democrats motion. I am a bit perplexed by the actions of the Government. We know there were rumblings on the backbenches about opposing this motion and some Members were uneasy about that but now we seem to have a typical split decision as the Government is not opposing the motion but is not extending the time for the commission either.

I was interested to hear Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness, a retired judge, explain yesterday on the radio how members of the commission should have no issue coming before an Oireachtas committee. We need to get to the bottom of this for the sanity, health and welfare of the victims who are still alive and their families. I salute the brave victims, some of whom came before Tipperary County Council recently when it had a full meeting on this matter. It happened in every county and the practice was endemic in society. We need to draw a line under it.

The Taoiseach came in and was the second or third holder of that office to make an apology on this and be emotional and everything else. That does not cut it when we see the volume of mail we get in constituency offices. We could find no other mail because we have been flooded over the past number of weeks with passionate pleas to extend the time of the commission. What is the point of having a commission with recorded testimonies when these are destroyed? I note we have been told this week that some or all of the tapes might be retrieved, as they should be. There is enough trick-of-the-loop going on here and this is a typical act of this ham-fisted coalition Government of three parties supported by some Independents. It is saying it will not extend the time for the commission but it will not oppose the motion. We had a vote here recently on a forestry Bill and I was one of the few people to vote against it but that legislation has made things worse. I am not comparing the forestry provisions with this serious matter but it demonstrates that we have a feeble and inept Government. This fumbling or bumbling to keep backbenchers on board is not good enough. The survivors now need tangible supports and closure on this matter.

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