Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This morning, I raise the horrendous scandal of mother and baby homes, with particular reference to Sean Ross Abbey. It is an issue close to my heart. My sister-in-law is a survivor of that institution. I received a letter from a friend who has asked me to read it into the record of the House. I will do so, and I will simply call her Ann. This letter is to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman:

I am writing to express my deep frustration, anger, and disgust at the disgraceful handling of the Mother and Baby Homes Redress Scheme and the broader issues that remain unaddressed. I was born in Sean Ross Abbey in November 1968, and although I was adopted in December of that same year, my adoption was not finalized until July of the following year.

She further wrote:

My birth mother fought to keep me, refusing to sign the adoption papers and even sought legal advice to stop the process. Yet despite her efforts I was taken from her.

You have decided the people who were in a mother and baby home for less than 160 days don't qualify for redress... Who are you to judge the trauma of those involved in this horror?

Let me tell you about trauma. I have lived with the pain of my adoption all my life, long before I even knew the full story. As a child, I was terrified of being left alone. I would crawl into my parents' bed at night because I could not bear the fear of losing them, a fear I later realized stemmed from being taken from my birth mother against her will. This fear and anxiety followed me into adulthood, affecting every aspect of my life, from joyful family moments to times of grief...

But this isn't just about me. What about the mothers in their 80s and 90s who are still waiting for justice? You promised they would be prioritised, yet they are still waiting for their redress. They have suffered for decades, waiting for some form of acknowledgement from the State and many won't live long enough to see it....

And what about the babies? The babies who were buried at Sean Ross Abbey, many of whom have never been accounted for. Mothers are still looking for their children, still begging for answers yet nothing is being done. Where is the investigation? Where is the accountability for the Church's role in this scandal? Sean Ross Abbey was sold - where has the money gone? Why is the Catholic Church not being held financially responsible for the atrocities committed under its watch?...

These mothers are dying and they still do not know where their children ended up.

What I am asking for, in particular, is for this Government to think again. My colleague, Deputy Kerrane, revealed just last week there is a massive €158 million underspend on this scheme. That money should be used to include all of those victims who have been excluded to date by this Government. It is morally wrong and reprehensible, frankly, and there is an outrageous scandal that has still yet to be tackled in terms of Sean Ross Abbey itself, in terms of those babies buried that we still do not know anything about. Even at the late stage of this Parliament, I call for an urgent debate and action on that issue.