Call for government to apologise for obstructing access to mother and baby home records

Protesters hang baby shoes outside Áras an Uachtaráin to highlight their opposition to the sealing of records on mother and baby homes. Campaign groups say the government needs to apologise for the hurt caused. 

An adoptee identity rights organisation has called on the Government to commit to a national apology for the “decades-long practice of concealing and obstructing access to records pertaining to mother and baby homes”.

Aitheantas says the apology from the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister Roderic O’Gorman should form part of an overall apology for the practices of forced and coercive adoption.

The group welcomed the clarifications issued by the Government in relation to access to personal data pertaining to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission.

However, the organisation said the “inconsistent approach” taken by government must be resolved to ensure adoptees and survivors of mother and baby homes can access their records in a straightforward way.

Maree Ryan-O’Brien, founder of Aitheantas, said: “We appreciate that the Taoiseach and wider government now understand the upset and distress caused by the mixed messaging they put out with regard to legislation on the Commission. Their statements are a response to the huge public anger about the policy of sealing records. 

“However, there is still an inconsistent approach to this matter by the Government, which is at odds with common sense and the law."

The Taoiseach says the government is "looking afresh" at rebalancing the legislation to favour access by survivors.

"From my perspective of Taoiseach in this government, on any dark chapter in our past, I want openness, transparency and honesty," Mr Martin said.

It was clear from the commission, that these records would be destroyed if legislation wasn't passed and rendered useless that was the motivation behind the bill.

"There's determination in government that we get (the report) published as soon as possible, the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned.

"Our objective is to bring legislation to Oireachtas, the minister is working on it, in terms of access to records and unfettered access my view is we want to do everything we possibly can to facilitate access but has to be shared with Oireachtas and with groups and survivors before legislation is passed."

Mr Martin said while the government favours access, it "cannot ignore privacy" but that officials are working on that.

"Our first concern is survivors," he said.

"The minister should've met with the groups in advance, he said that this morning, that's an important point.

"We're going to create a modern centre where all the records of the dark chapters of our past can be properly curated and crucially available for individuals affected from the industrial schools to the mother and baby homes."

Both the Taoiseach and the minister plan to meet with survivors groups before the end of the year.

  acknowledged that the new legislation in relation to mother and baby homes does not address all the issues involved and that the need remains for proper tracing legislation and a national archive for the records of the various reports and commissions.

"Better systems to secure the rights to early information will be required," said Mr O’Gorman.

He said there was a need for a national adoption archive to ensure that the records from the various reports and commissions were "properly managed with access for survivors and adoptees".