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Items of baby clothing were tied to the railings at the back of Leinster House this evening, where a vigil was held to demand justice for the mothers and children who endured cruelty at the hands of the State. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Boyd Barrett: 'I was born in a mother-and-baby scheme. I'm one of the lucky ones'

Sinn Féin wants the Commission of Investigation to be in place before the summer recess.

THE INVESTIGATION INTO mother-and-baby homes in the State must cover all the key issues.

That’s according to Sinn Féin Health and Children spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD, who was speaking tonight at the conclusion of the Sinn Féin Dáil debate on the homes.

“One of the lucky ones”

Over the past two nights, TDs spoke about their thoughts on the homes and the recent Tuam home discovery, during the debate. There was widespread shock and disgust at the treatment of children and mothers at the homes and by wider society.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett told the Dáil that he was born in a mother-and-baby scheme, and was “one of the lucky ones who escaped out of the mother-and-baby home”.

He was adopted out of the home, and said others “suffered a terrible fate”. He called the issue “an appalling stain on our history”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor questioned whether the women in the homes were “victims of paedophiles, victims of incest, or victims of feckless men”.

Terms of Reference

Ó Caoláin said it is essential now “that we set the proper and appropriate terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation”.

Its scope needs to be wide enough to cover all the key issues involved in the scandal of mother and baby homes. At the same time the terms of reference need to be clear and comprehensive, while making possible a timely conclusion to the work of the Investigation.

He believes the investigation must not focus only on the Bon Secours institution in Tuam but on all such mother and baby institutions that existed in this State in that era.

It is essential that there is a full examination of the regimes in those institutions – I will not call them homes. This must include the manner in which the women were treated –their accommodation, their food, their medical care or lack of it, the work the women were required to do.

He added that it must include also the manner in which the children were treated, as well as finding out why the infant and child mortality rates were so high in these places.

The Sinn Féin TD said that the Commission must also investigate the extent of neglect of the children, especially in terms of malnourishment; adoption practices; and experimentation on children.

“I believe we have, collectively, made progress this week, towards finding the truth,” he concluded.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD said survivors and advocacy groups should be consulted on the terms of reference. Given the age of many of the survivors, he said that redress schemes, including counselling, should be put in place as quickly as possible.

He said the party believes that the Commission should be in place before the summer recess.

Read: “Huge traffic” between Magdalene laundries and mother-and-baby homes>

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    Mute Daniel Fontaine
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    Oct 24th 2016, 8:28 AM

    Delighted that the person was rescued.
    And that the infernal noise polluting machine found its way to the depths of the ocean.
    Good outcome all round.

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    Mute Tom Collins
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    Oct 24th 2016, 8:54 AM

    Christ the summer is over put it back in the shed

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    Mute brian boru
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    Oct 24th 2016, 9:04 AM

    Jet skiers – idiots of the boating world ! Have rescued more of these adrift in Dublin bay then any other craft ! Always someone with no formal training or understanding about how to take a vessel to sea

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    Mute Lucille Ball
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:20 PM

    @ Daniel.. agreed…

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    Mute Ariana
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    Oct 24th 2016, 8:39 AM

    Glad it ended well, but they shouldn’t have gone out on their own.

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    Mute Kers Neil
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    Oct 24th 2016, 9:23 AM

    @Ariana: I wouldnt have put put my dog out in that wind yesterday. It amazes my how people make decisions such as this. I saw a couple yesterday walking along the top of the prom wall at Clontarf. Whats wrong with the path?

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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Oct 24th 2016, 9:40 AM

    At least they had the good scense to tell someone they were going. Give them credit for that.

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    Mute Mr KnowitAll
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:02 AM

    Terryglass in Tipperary is a great spot to go jet skiing. Cruise over to Portumna for a couple of pints and back again before dark.

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:41 AM

    They’re not restricted by calendar dates and people have fun with them. Stop being so cynical, a person could have been lost here, thankfully that didn’t happen, he had a life jacket, someone obviously knew he was out there and well done to the emergency crew.

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    Mute Ian Phillip Creaner
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:25 AM

    They? Their? How many people?

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    Mute Paddy Lions
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:12 PM

    @Ian Phillip Creaner: It looks it was one person with many different personalities, a modern day Sybil.

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    Mute dearg doom
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:32 PM

    The sea was awful yesterday, very surprised they ventured out.

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