Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Taoiseach, on International Women's Day, as it happens, for a commitment from this Government to bring forward legislation, and it needs to be emergency legislation, to ensure records and all relevant documents relating to Magdalen laundries and residents of those institutions are preserved and protected and that it would be a criminal offence to alter, destroy or dispose of any of these documents. There is an ongoing context to this, but the reason I raise the issue this morning specifically is related to the launch of a book yesterday, entitled A Dublin Magdalene Laundry: Donnybrook and Church-State Power in Ireland. It was edited by Dr. Mark Coen, Dr. Katherine O'Donnell and Dr. Maeve O'Rourke.

The specific issue relates to the fact that following a decision by the Information Commissioner, on appeal, to allow a Magdalen survivor access archives under freedom of information, FOI, Dr. O'Rourke requested all records relating to Donnybrook Magdalen laundry be made available under FOI. The response from the Department of the Taoiseach was that searching through the archive for certain records would be so expensive, it could not be countenanced under FOI and that editors should make individual requests to various Departments, which originally gave their records to the interdepartmental committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen laundries. All except one of the FOI requests were refused. The excuses were as long as your arm. How did the editors of this book get access to all of this important information? It was by chance. I do not have time to go through it, but it took extraordinary dedication and commitment and an element of luck to source it. This should never be the case.

Will the Government consider bringing forward a Bill similar, in intent at least, to the Preservation of Documents (Historical Institutions) Bill, which was the final legislation agreed by the Northern Ireland Assembly last March, on a cross-party basis? It is really important legislation. We need similar legislation here now. We have a chaotic and totally unsatisfactory situation at present with regard to these records. Some dioceses allow access and others do not. It is grossly unfair to survivors. However, it is essential this State steps up and takes full and final responsibility to make up just a little for the responsibility it abrogated at that time. I am asking the Taoiseach to ensure these records and this information are preserved and that it would be a criminal offence for any person or institution to seek to destroy or dispose of this information.

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