Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs that a statutory commission of investigation will be established to investigate the matters arising in the mother and baby home in Tuam and in other institutions. It has been less than two weeks since I raised this matter in the House. There was no delay by the Government because it is taking the matter extremely seriously. Given the ongoing public interest and the wider issue of apparently significantly higher rates of infant mortality in such homes as compared with the wider population at the time, I am asking the Leader to arrange a debate on the matter in the House this week and to invite the Minister to attend. In the absence of concrete facts on Tuam, and although there is ample material to warrant an inquiry, I suggest that the debate should concentrate on the wide-ranging and comprehensive research on such institutions in general, including allegations of medical trials and forced adoption. I am sure such a debate will assist the Minister when the terms of reference of the inquiry are being drawn up. It frustrates me greatly that we as a society only get to grips with our terrible social history when something comes to light that galvanises the international media. It is time we discussed these matters in a calm manner and, in doing so, leave our prejudices, political and otherwise, outside the door.