Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As we are all aware, and as the Minister has outlined, following the tragic findings of Catherine Corless's research back in 2012, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was established. This commission of investigation was established by an order of the Government. The sole aim of this commission is to provide a forum for persons who were formerly resident in the homes or who worked in these institutions to provide accounts of their experience; as informally as possible in the circumstances and with due empathy and understanding.

There has been continual progress from the previous Government's work. The Government has worked tirelessly on promoting and giving closure to the Mother and Baby Homes scandal. I know the Minister has worked very hard on this issue to try to bring about a resolution, insofar as it is possible in the circumstances.

Following the Commission's fourth interim report request, the Government has indeed agreed, as has been alluded to, to extend the research and investigation for another year to February 2020. This is the third extension that has been granted by the Government and I believe we should give the commission as much time as it needs to facilitate its very detailed and cumbersome work and difficulty in contacting various witnesses, who are in other countries around the world. It is strongly believed that this extension is crucial in the interest of completing and finalising the research on what has been described as a chamber of horrors in Tuam. The Commission's fourth interim report has stated that it has met with 519 former residents or others who have connections to the institutions under investigation. These meetings were held across Ireland and England. As of the end of last month, 26 more individuals have been heard also on the issue. The report states that some of these individuals are resident in the United States and I believe technology such as Skype was used to connect with people for the purpose of getting as much information as possible for the report.Some cross referencing research still has to be completed with regards to registers of entry, exit, birth and death. Considerable work remains to be done in this Department to ensure the account of women and babies is correct.

In the cases where individuals cannot be heard in person, I understand the commission is making arrangements to have affidavits sworn. That process takes considerable time. I know from my work as a solicitor over the years that it is painstaking and detailed work. There are many logistical issues also with that type of work.

The commission's recent report also stated that it has only recently received extensive material from the Departments of Health and Children and Youth Affairs, and more material is on the way. The commission has 100,000 pages of documents that include "some detailed returns made to the department by mother and baby homes and local authorities that were responsible for children in various institutions including mother and baby homes, and for boarded out children". My understanding is that these detailed documents are being analysed meticulously and cross referenced with other data, which is detailed and cumbersome work.

The commission recognises the help that has been provided by the HSE, which has been providing documents. Nevertheless, it has been disconcerted, which is alarming, by the limited data the HSE has given, which seems to be a consequence of a poor archive system in the organisation. That is not good enough. It raises a number of questions as to the reason the executive has provided so little data or why it can only provide so little data. For instance, one of the institutions under investigation by the commission is The Castle, Newtowncunningham, County Donegal, in which the HSE was intensively involved. The executive has been unable to provide any material on its involvement with the institution, which is concerning.

It is essential that the commission be given sufficient time and resources to fully comprehend the extent of this horrific situation in order to properly cross reference all the information and material it has to hand and provide as comprehensive an account as is possible of the pathways of the children concerned.

Moreover, the fourth interim report noted that following the Government's decision to carry out a forensic excavation of the burial ground at the Tuam children's home, the commission has received more information on past burial practices in other institutions under investigation. It will need more time to properly investigate these matters.

As stated in its report, the commission aims to publish an interim report on burials, which the Minister mentioned, in the first half on 2019, which is soon enough. According to the report, that has not been done yet for two reasons. First, some new information has been acquired over the past few months and has not been fully investigated. Second, section 34 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 requires that the commission send a draft of the relevant part of its report to any person who is identified or identifiable from the draft report. That is, again, detailed and cumbersome work.

Despite how appalling and dreadful the entire investigation is, the commission's reports and the conclusions of this investigation are essential to victims and those concerned by this morbid, gruesome and macabre episode in Irish history. In a sense, as citizens, we are all concerned by this event. That must not be forgotten and buried in the past. If insufficient closure is provided by this investigation, the mother and baby homes’ atrocities will continue to taint the present. To fully provide closure, we must work toward having the full and absolute extent of facts so that we can ensure this deplorable and grim episode of Irish history never happens again. A fully comprehensive and detailed report needs to be finalised. I am supportive of the extension of time for the commission's investigation until it is extensively finished and there are no longer any missing pieces to this horrific scandal. I wish the Minister well with her continued work on that.