Irish Examiner View: Another victory for the culture of secrecy

Mount Jerome Cemetary in Dublin where the unmarked graves of 40 children from a Protestant residential institution, Bethany House, were discovered. The Minister for Children Roderick O’Gorman apologised in the Dáil for his failure “to properly communicate” what the Government is going to do with the mother-and-baby homes report. Picture: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Many of the issues that have bedevilled this Republic since its foundation came together in the Dáil on Thursday night. The Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill was passed 78 votes to 67. That process was as contested as that title is unwieldy. Unwieldy as it is, it was another victory for the mindset that relies on redacted files and closed doors. The culture of secrecy, or more accurately, the culture that abhors accountability, won.    

That new piece of legislation allows the transfer of a database of 60,000 records created by a five-year State investigation into mother-and-baby homes to the child and family agency, Tusla. That database “can help children establish their identity.” Confusingly, existing law means all the information gathered by the commission must be archived and sealed for 30 years. This under-the-carpet hiding away is a consequence of the 2004 Commissions of Investigation Act which, all too conveniently, offers the lure of concern but hollows out that concern because it can neutralise testimony through its suppression. A bad deal for anyone who believes transparency is a force for good for individuals or societies.