Written answers

Wednesday, 3 February 2021

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Photo of Seán HaugheySeán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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494. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a hard copy of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes provided that hard copies have already been made available to those who gave evidence to the Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5667/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The statutory obligation on the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was to submit its Final Report to me as the specified Minister under its establishment Order. The Commission was not in a position to provide copies of its Report to individuals. However, a printed hard copy of the Final Report of the Commission is being made available to any survivor who wishes to have one, at no cost, from my Department.

The Report was published in digital format in the first instance so as to immediately make it available to the widest possible audience.  This is particularly important having regard to the sheer size of the report and the challenges which arise in disseminating hard copies, due in part to current necessary public health restrictions.

On 13 January, my Department issued an email to our contact list of survivors and advocates and posted a notice on our website, to outline how survivors and their advocates could secure a copy of the report. My Department can be contacted at 01-6473200 from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6pm, or by emailing motherandbabyhomes@equality.gov.ie.

The Department also has an abridged version of the Report available, containing chapters such as the Executive Summary, Recommendations, and of course, the report from the Confidential Committee, if this format is preferred.

My officials have procured the services of third parties to print and deliver the hard copies of the report. With the consent of those seeking copies of the report, names and addresses will be shared with a third party service provider, and this will be done in full compliance with General Data Protection Guidelines.

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