Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I strongly support the motion before the House to investigate the treatment of mothers and children in institutions across the State in the past. The appalling scandal of what went on in mother and baby homes between the 1920s and 1970s was known to the State, State agencies, the church and Irish establishments. These homes were registered, regulated and inspected by the State under the Registration of Maternity Homes Act 1934. The State knew what went on in these homes, including forced and illegal adoptions, the disgraceful burials, the vaccination trials and so on. State inspection reports described children as being fragile, emaciated and pot-bellied. Cause of death was often recorded as starvation.

I welcome the Minister's announcement to establish a commission of investigation, chaired by Judge Yvonne Murphy, whose remit is extensive. It is the first concrete step in establishing the full facts of what when on during that dark time in our history. We must handle the investigation with the highest level of sensitivity and calmness. We need to find out why the babies died, and why the death rate in the homes was over three times the national average at the time. By setting up the Commission with all the necessary powers to get to the information required, we will come to a greater understanding of how it was that, as a society, we failed in our treatment of the women and children in these homes.

I acknowledge the work and diligence of Ms Catherine Corless. We would not be here today but for the information she unearthed. The image she exposed of the remains of children and babies who died in Tuam sent shockwaves not just through Ireland but all over the world. I greatly admire all the women who have so far come forward to share their harrowing stories and I commend the Minister on meeting the women and acting so swiftly. One such woman is Ms Philomena Lee. Ms Lee was unmarried when she gave birth to her son Anthony in the early 1950s. He was given up to a couple in the United States for adoption when he was just three years of age. I am uncomfortable using the word 'home' as it conjures an image of safety, stability, love and nurture, which is something these women did not get. The mother and baby home where Ms Lee gave birth to her son was Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea. It in included in the index.

The examination should identify the extent to which children's welfare and best interests were considered in making arrangements for their placement, in Ireland and abroad. The commission will identify the mothers' participation in such decisions, including procedures around mothers' consent and whether these procedures were sufficient to ensure that consent was full, free and informed. I welcome the fact that the use of babies for vaccine trials, and the transfer of remains to university medical schools as part of doctor training are included in the terms of reference.

I had an issue with the term 'single mother' because I was worried women who were married or widowed would not be included. I commend the Minister on making the change after listening to concerns. Making the investigation a feasible task that can be concluded in a realistic timeframe is crucial. I hope that the commission will be very important to us as a society in coming to terms with our history and understanding who we are as a people. Within the commission, we must establish the true facts about what took place in the dark days of our past. We have heard of the barbaric practices forced upon these women by virtue of the fact that they had children out of wedlock and were technically disowned, shunned and hidden away by their families. We must get this 100% right so that there are no unanswered questions or outstanding issues following the commission of inquiry. The commission should not just be about restorative justice or issuing a State apology but about learning important lessons as a people. Let us make the commission of inquiry the ultimate investigation and ensure that no victim is left out in the cold.

Since I was elected to Seanad Éireann, we seem to be constantly dealing with issues of the past and the sins of our past, such as the Magdalen laundries, industrial abuse, symphysiotomy and mother and baby homes. Why is it on the agenda now? It was due to bad, or poor and perhaps lazy, governance. Was it an easy option to allow establishments set up by the religious orders to take over the role of responsibility for women in distress, women shunned and abandoned by their families, women who had no means of their own and relied solely on the State to safeguard their welfare and that of their unborn children, and subsequently after birth the welfare of their children? It is now quite clear that we as a society failed miserably in our responsibility to these women and children.

One man who contacted me, and I understand the Minister is aware of his sad story, was separated at birth from his twin who was placed in Northern Ireland and who did not even know of his twin's existence. How terrible to separate twins. One month ago, my sister gave birth to twins and, even though they are so young, they are already forming a bond. To separate them would be a social and moral injustice but that is exactly what was done to this man and his brother. This man is actively campaigning to have an all-Ireland investigation. Will we be subject to such scrutiny in years to come if we do not get this right with the commission, clean up our past and bring a little closure and stability to women who have been haunted for years by what happened to them and their children in these homes? We must consider the effect of such action on the children who were forcefully taken from their biological mothers and placed, helpless, in other families. That they were good, loving and caring families in many cases still does not make it right if these children were taken without the consent of their mothers.

The commission must establish the facts of what happened in the home and in its findings must not spare anyone's blushes, be it the State or church. Sometimes what is most obvious and staring us in the face can go unnoticed. As they say, we cannot see the wood for the trees. Everyone knew what was happening in these homes and did not do anything about it and this is not surprising, given that in those days people were afraid to speak out against the State and religious orders. Thankfully, we have moved a long way since then, there is much more scrutiny and accountability, and people are not afraid to speak out. The whistleblowing legislation will protect those who choose to highlight injustice, cruelty and abuse. While most of us here were not around in the dark days of these homes, it is incumbent on us to give these women and children the justice they deserve and to ensure that this type of behaviour cannot and will not happen again in this isle of ours.