Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the Taoiseach that the Government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth on the mother and baby homes report. Today in the High Court, the State will strongly defend the report of the mother and baby homes commission in legal action brought by survivors against the report. Simultaneously, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, has said that he believes survivors and intends to appoint an independent expert to review the testimony of survivors given to the confidential committee. Which is it? Does the Government support the report, as it claims in the High Court, or does it believe that there are such fundamental problems with it that it is necessary to authorise a separate review of the report? There is an inherent contradiction in the Government's approach. It cannot simultaneously defend the report and suggest that it is so fundamentally flawed that a separate review of it is required. This approach is nonsense. The Minister needs to make up his mind. He must repudiate the report and ensure that the historical record about this dark period in Irish history is accurate.

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