Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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372. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on submitting the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation to the Holy See for an official response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3740/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Firstly I wish to repeat the apology of the Government and the State to the Irish mothers and their children who ended up in a mother and baby home or a county home. As the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes clearly states, "they should not have been there."

Minister O'Gorman has publicly stated that all parties who were involved in the management or delivery of these services have a shared obligation to support appropriate actions in response to this Report. He has written to those parties, including the leaders of the Catholic Church in Ireland, to seek urgent engagement on the issues raised in the report.

The Government has previously raised the ongoing work of the Commission with the Holy See and I have asked our Ambassador to bring this important Report to the attention of the Holy See.