Opposition pleads with Government to extend Mother and Baby Home Commission 

One TD claims the findings of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission were either "not presented clearly or manipulated to serve a particular agenda."

The extension of the bill would allow survivors to launch a judicial review against the findings in the report, parts of which are widely contested. File photo

The Opposition has pleaded with the government to extend the Mother and Baby Homes Commission.

A Bill brought by Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore seeks to extend the Commission of Investigation beyond its expiration on February 28.

"When the state, many decades later, accepted the responsibility to uncover what was laid hidden for many lifetimes, they did not uncover the truth. Instead, they unearthed more pain," she said.

"The commission was supposed to uncover the truth through the testimonies," she said. 

"Instead the commission's report churned out a series of conclusions, not only contested by many survivors, but which displayed insensitive narrative of women and called into question the validity of women's and survivors experiences."

Fellow TD Gary Gannon accused the government of "sitting on its hands" and watching the dissolution of the commission.

"The truth was, at best, is not presented clearly or was manipulated to serve a particular agenda," he said.

The extension of the bill would allow survivors to launch a judicial review against the findings in the report, parts of which are widely contested. The government did not table a counter-motion and without any further action by government, the Commission will expire this week.

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman said colleagues across the house are united in wanting to do what is right for survivors.

This is above Party Politics. This is about doing what's right for survivors.#ExtendtheCommission#MotherandBabyHomes @WhitmoreJen calls on all TDs to support the #SocDems motion in the #Dáil tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/gZkN5WeO13

— Social Democrats (@SocDems) February 23, 2021

"It is not clear what practical purpose can be achieved by extending the term of the Commission. I believe that the focus of governments must be on delivering the 22 actions, which formed the response to the report of the Commission," he said.

"I strongly believe that we must focus on real solutions and move quickly to resolve the difficulties in a way that best serves survivors."

The Commission notified the Minister on Monday that it had retrieved backup tapes containing the audio recordings of the confidential committee interviews, despite previously deleting the recordings in July, in line with its previous commitments but to much public outcry.

"The Commission has repeatedly stated that this process (deleting the tapes) and the associated actions were carried out with the knowledge of survivors. It is clear that some survivors do not share this view. I hope that the retrieval of the recordings now offers reassurance to those survivors," Mr O'Gorman added.
The files will be transferred to the department this week and will "provide an avenue" for those who consented to the recording of their interview to access their personal data. If they consider that their record is inaccurate or incomplete, they will be able to exercise their GDPR rights and their right to rectification after the archive is transferred.

"I remain committed to considering other options to support survivors and sharing their stories and vindicating their experience, including through enabling witnesses to be able to submit their stories afresh to form part of the plan for a National Memorial," he said.

Minister Anne Rabbitte added that survivors are not one homogenous group: "For anyone to bunch them together for questionable political games, with catchy hashtags and headline-grabbing sound bites. Nobody should utilise the weaponization of survivor's trauma for their own gains."

Likewise, the Taoiseach said: "I think it's it's wrong to be trying to create a division here that some are more virtuous than others."