Government castigated over plans to seal Mother and Baby Home records

Majella Connolly (front), an adoptee from the St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home in Dublin, joins protesters outside Aras an Uachtarain, Dublin, after President Michael D Higgins signed the Bill into law.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin was flooded with letters from survivors of mother and baby homes and supporters about the ‘sealing’ of records relating to survivors and adoptees.

The Department of the Taoiseach received just under 3,000 petition emails and 126 personal emails about controversial plans to close off the archive while Children's Minister Roderic O’Gorman also received close to 300 separate letters and messages, according to records released under FOI.