Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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86. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will announce the date he plans to publish the report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters. [40791/20]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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When does the Minister plan to publish the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Following its five-year statutory inquiry, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters delivered its final report to me on 30 October. I signalled previously that there would be a short time interval between receipt of the report and the separate arrangements for its publication. It is essential that publication is done in the right way with former residents being given the priority and support they deserve. In recent weeks, I have spoken to former residents and advocates in this area, including a majority of the collaborative forum and representatives of many of the organisations and individuals affected. I have listened carefully to their views and concerns.

The work around the publication of the report is at an advanced stage but I am mindful, too, that the uncertainty around when those affected will be able to read the report could add to their anxiety. For this reason and in the hope of offering some reassurance, I wish to confirm today that I will be bringing a memorandum to the Government in the week of 11 January next seeking approval to publish the report immediately. I also intend to publish the sixth interim report from the commission at the same time.

I recognise how important it is that former residents and their families are the first to be notified about plans to publish the report and how to access it. My Department contacted former residents earlier today to tell them of the planned publication arrangements.

Deputies will agree that it is important that former residents are informed first. In my communications to survivors this morning, I also highlighted the counselling supports available to those who feel they need additional support immediately and over the Christmas and new year period. Available capacity in these services will be primed to respond to the anticipated increased demand when the report is published and in the weeks following. An information line has been established in my Department and all relevant contact information is on my Department's website.

Deputies will be aware that the certain institutional burials (authorised interventions) Bill was approved by the previous Government in December of last year and referred for pre-legislative scrutiny. Due to the general election in February, this did not happen. It is my intention to bring a memorandum to the Government on the general scheme of this Bill also in the week of 11 January and then refer it to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability and Integration for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the fact that there is a date for publication. I, along with many others, have been anxious to get a date but I am also mindful that today marks exactly three weeks to Christmas Eve. I have been speaking to many survivors and various representatives over the past two weeks. I have had a number of online meetings. People are concerned that the report is to be published and everyone would leave them high and dry over the Christmas period. Unfortunately, that has been their experience of dealing with the State over the years. They have been let down. I do not blame people for feeling like that.

It is vital that the correct counselling supports are put in place. They should have been put in place a long time ago regardless of whether a report was being published. Now that we will have the report, which I believe is 4,000 pages long, it will be difficult reading. Obviously, it was a difficult lived experience for so many people and their families. It is important that there are the correct counsellors and that people are not merely guided on to some number, where one is on a waiting list and one will be 18 months waiting, or to somebody who does not really understand. There needs to be trauma-specific counsellors dealing with people. They need to be services that are available specifically for survivors and those affected, not added on to an existing overburdened service. That is crucial. I welcome that we have a date because it is important for people to be able to prepare for it mentally as well.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Like the Deputy, I have been in touch with a significant number of survivors over the past number of weeks and I have heard the various views. There are various views out there. Talking to more and more of them as we get closer to Christmas - it has been a hard year for everybody - there is a real sense that this Christmas will be a difficult and unusual one. With the significance of this report, it was clear to me that publishing it close to Christmas would not be appropriate. That is why we are giving clarity today that we have a specific date. It is the second week in January. We will bring it forward in that week.

I take on board all that the Deputy is saying about the need for the provision of appropriate counselling and supports at that time. We are engaging on a consistent basis with the Department of Health and the HSE. When the announcement is made, there will be clarity as regards the counselling services. Those counselling services will be put in place at that time. The Deputy is correct. That is essential and necessary.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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There a few final points I want to make. It is really important that survivors and people affected by this get the report first. While that might seem like common sense to everybody, there has been a history and a pattern of things being leaked and of people hearing media stories. I was contacted by people who thought the report was being published this week and that was not the case. It is really important that survivors get copies.

Some people have even contacted me to ask whether they will get a copy or will have to read it online. We might think "of course they will get a copy", but that needs to be reaffirmed to them. They need to be communicated with and told that they will get a copy and their views will be respected in terms of them getting this first, before it is released to the wider public. That is the least they deserve.

I want to briefly mention Bessborough. I welcome the fact that the Minister mentioned that we will definitely have the pre-legislative scrutiny of the certain institutional burials (authorised interventions) Bill in January. In the past week or two, there has been a planning application in relation to the former site at Bessborough. The burial grounds are included in that. People are concerned that works will go ahead there. We should have that pre-legislative scrutiny and have that proposed Bill passed before any works are carried out.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Deputy raises two important and separate issues there. On Bessborough, I am aware of the planning application. I have engaged with one of the leading survivor groups for survivors from Cork. I was looking at the planning application this morning. I am concerned about that planning application. I will not say more about it now but I am aware of what is happening there.

As regards engagement and informing survivors, the survivors on the departmental mailing list were mailed this morning with information. The plan is that it will go to the Cabinet that week, and following the Cabinet meeting, the Taoiseach and I will host a webinar solely for survivors at which we will discuss and bring out the major conclusions of the report for survivors. It will only be after that point that it will be available. We will hold a press conference for the general public, but we will be engaging with survivors first and telling them first. Probably the following week, because everyone will need time to read it, there will be time for an extensive Dáil debate on the issue as well. We will provide more detail in the new year about the specifics of getting this report to survivors.