Daughter of mother and baby home resident writes open letter to Varadkar on redress scheme exclusion

Two years ago,  Laura Murphy wrote to then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin, criticising his description of the incarceration of pregnant single mothers as an issue that Irish society was responsible for

In her letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, written with cultural activist Kathy Scott, Laura Murphy said the days of brushing trauma and mass abuse under the carpet are over.

The daughter of a mother and baby home resident, who had urged the Taoiseach to retract part of a 2021 state apology to survivors, has now written a second letter highlighting the exclusion of 24,000 people from the Government’s redress scheme.

Two years ago, marketing executive Laura Murphy wrote to then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin, criticising his description of the incarceration of pregnant single mothers as an issue that Irish society was responsible for.

Ms Murphy said the comments amounted to a dispersal of blame to everyone for a period when women were largely excluded from political, economic, and societal life. Laura, whose mother Mary had a baby in St Patrick’s on Navan Rd, Dublin, has now condemned the exclusion of boarded-out residents and those born under six months from the redress scheme.

In her letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, written with cultural activist Kathy Scott, Laura said the days of brushing trauma and mass abuse under the carpet are over.

The announcement of an €800m redress package last year does not include boarded-out survivors and those who were in the homes for fewer than the first six months of their lives.

Her letter says: “Considering the irrefutable evidence of the abuses committed by the Catholic Church and the profits made from human trafficking, forced unpaid labour, illegal adoptions, illegal vaccine trials and stipends from the State for every ‘offender’ [mother] and ‘illegitimate’ [child] in their ‘care’, it is outrageous that they are absolved of their responsibility to give back what they took from the Irish people.

“Instead, the full burden of responsibility is being placed on the Irish taxpayer for harm that was perpetrated by Church and State.

“As a result, 40% of survivors are being retraumatised and excluded from the very scheme that was set up to ensure survivor-led restorative recognition and reparation.

“Your claim that the €800m for redress is money that ‘could otherwise be spent meeting the needs of today or trying to build a better future’, demonstrates a lack of understanding of the impact of unresolved past trauma on people’s lives today and into the future.”

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Laura said the issue of intergenerational trauma has also not been addressed.

“It’s a continued perpetuation of suffering and harm because of our collective inability to talk about it,” she said. “The Taoiseach sent out the narrative that separation before six months doesn’t mean anything. My spirit won’t let survivors down on this.”