Government abandons independent review of mother and baby home testimony

In June 2021, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman announced plans to bring proposals to Cabinet to appoint an international human rights expert to re-examine the written testimony given to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission, and report back this year. File picture

A promised independent review of testimony given by mother and baby home survivors has now been abandoned by the Government.

In June 2021, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman announced plans to bring proposals to Cabinet to appoint an international human rights expert to re-examine the written testimony given to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission, and report back this year.

The commitment came after survivors and academics raised concerns over how testimony provided to the confidential committee was handled.

Campaigners had called for an independent examination of the testimony given by hundreds of survivors after a member of the commission of investigation admitted these personal stories had been discounted because they were provided in private and not under oath.

While a draft memo to appoint an international expert was drawn up by Mr O'Gorman, it did not progress any further. 

A spokesperson for Mr O'Gorman has confirmed to the Irish Examiner that he no longer plans to carry out this independent review.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the Department of Children reveals that the review never progressed beyond a “draft outline” of a proposed memorandum for Government on June 14 last year.

The schedule for the refused FoI, which requested all records relating to the establishment of the independent review between June and December 2021, shows just eight records for this period.

On June 14, an email thread was started between “Advisor, Sec Gen and PO re draft outline of proposed Memo for Government”. This thread is described as “an early draft of a document created for the purpose of enabling the Minister to bring proposals to Government for consideration”. It is not mentioned again for the remainder of 2021.

The remaining documents concern a speaking note prepared for Taoiseach Micheál Martin on June 14, some email threads on "policy approaches to ongoing deliberations by the Minister on potential policy approaches on which a final decision has not been made" on December 7, and a response to a media query made by the Irish Examiner on December 8.

Some 500 survivors gave evidence to the confidential committee. Commission member Professor Mary Daly later admitted the testimony of mothers and those born in institutions was not given the same weight as other information, as anything contained in the main report of the commission had to "meet robust legal standards of evidence".

The commission heard separately from a smaller number of people under oath.

A spokesperson for the Department of Children said Mr O’Gorman had listened to the "concerns and disappointment" of some survivors when the report of the confidential committee did not live up to expectation and has acknowledged the "deep hurt" which this has caused.

"Although care was taken in the design of the confidential committee component to try and allow the truth as survivors wanted it told to emerge, the minister recognises that this has not happened for very many of them.

"The minister has been keen to address these concerns and had previously indicated the possibility of a review of the testimony offered to the confidential committee. 

"Having considered the matter, the minister believes that a new initiative to support survivors to tell their personal story, so that it can be formally recorded and accepted as part of the official record, provides the best opportunity for responding to the concerns of survivors in a meaningful way."

The spokesperson added that survivors would be able to come forward to tell their personal story or have the testimony of the confidential committee used in the planned National Centre for Research and Remembrance.

This centre is due to be located on the site of the former Magdalene laundry on Sean McDermott St, Dublin City.