Baby deaths must be addressed

May I take this opportunity of drawing to the Taoiseach’s attention, that given the recent deluge of information which is emerging with reference to the Mother and Baby Home at Tuam, Co. Galway, it is becoming imperative that the Government finally takes action to face up to this shocking episode in the history of the State.

Dr Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, has agreed that an inquiry should now take place in relation to the deaths and the management of the institution. Likewise, Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin has repeatedly called for an inquiry into the deaths and management of the Bethany Home, Orwell Road, Dublin. Indeed, during face-to-face meetings with you Taoiseach, Dr Jackson has requested such action. Dr Jackson is on record as stating that: “there needs to be a conversation between the churches and the State about redress or compensation for the Bethany survivors”.

I have been working with the Bethany Survivors and on behalf of Derek Leinster, due to a FOI request, we have uncovered the fact that in 2005 Mother and Baby Homes and other institutions were deemed by the then Minister for Education and the Redress Unit as being eligible for inclusion on the Schedule of the Redress Act 2002, the Minister accepted that there was evidence of abuse, and while the Minister and the Redress Unit emphatically stated such institutions eligible, they decided that there was “no evidence of systematic or widespread abuse of children in those institutions“, so they decided to leave them out of the schedule.