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.

A sample of records from each department shows the depth of feeling from survivors of the homes, and also the general public.

It was subsequently clarified by the government that survivors would be able to access their personal information but that the privacy rights of others would have to be respected.

Letters to Micheál Martin

The Taoiseach received multiple letters from Fianna Fáil supporters saying they would never have their support again.

One lifelong Fianna Fáil voter said the Taoiseach would be losing their support if the decision was not reversed. “Don’t hope it will go away,” they said. “Women don’t forget!” 

One letter made a direct appeal to Mr Martin as a father. “Can you imagine information being kept from you about [your family] and to think that you might not be alive the next time it becomes available? I don’t think there is a cruelty like it.” 

One person who described their family as “strong supporters of you [Micheál Martin] and your great work for years” said they would no longer vote for him, while another wrote: "I am appalled that your party has seen fit to continue treating abused women so callously.”

Another questioned whether the government was worried it would make it look bad for records to be made public.

“You and your whole party and the other parties that voted ought to be ashamed of yourselves for voting yes to seal the records,” they said.

One email said: “Do not become a minor footnote in history, a question in future Leaving Certs about which Taoiseach allowed this travesty to occur.”

'Slaves of the State'

Former residents also wrote about their efforts to find out more about their early lives with one saying: “I can’t wait thirty years more to find out about my birth mother.” Another said the government had turned their back on “Irish people who were made to be slaves of the state”.

“How dare each one of you,” they said, “you all rushed this through under cover of Covid, so we couldn’t analyse the bill.” 

The grown child of one survivor wrote of sitting “with tears in [their] eyes following today’s vote”.

“I would never wish the treatment my mother faced on a single soul but I do sincerely hope you one day feel half the pain you have coldly put on her.”