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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said the leaking of details from the long-awaited final report by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation which were published in a newspaper prior to report’s release tomorrow is “regrettable”.
The Sunday Independent reported that the report will state that 9,000 children died in the 18 institutions investigated.
The newspaper, which directly quoted the Taoiseach in the article on the report, also revealed that Micheál Martin would be apologising on behalf of the State and “wider society” to the Dáil on Wednesday.
Quoting a statement from the Taoiseach, he said the report was “shocking and difficult to read”.
Speaking to Pat Kenny on Newstalk, the Taoiseach said: ”In the modern era, various government reports – aspects of them – get leaked. And we will certainly be addressing that issue as well.”
The report shines a light on a “dark chapter in our history”, he said.
“The government’s response will be comprehensive,” said Martin. “It has fallen to this generation” to deal with the issues, he added.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar earlier said it was “very disrespectful” that details from the report were leaked yesterday.
Speaking to Today FM this morning, Varadkar said he “absolutely” supports an investigation into who leaked the information.
“There are people who are survivors of mother and baby homes, they’re waiting five years for for this for this report, and I think it was very disrespectful the fact that elements of it were leaked and appeared in a Sunday paper.
“These are the people who deserve to see this report before everyone else and that hasn’t happened. Aspects of it were in the papers. Not all of it, thankfully,” Varadkar said.
Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman yesterday wrote to survivors’ groups to say that he was “deeply angered” about the leak.
On Twitter, O’Gorman said that he would seek an investigation into how the details became public.
“I’m seeking an investigation of how these sensitive details came into the public domain and will be raising it with Government colleagues,” O’Gorman said.
He said he was “very sorry” that survivors had found out details of the report in this way, adding that “it is not acceptable”.
O’Gorman is set to bring a memo on the final report to Cabinet tomorrow morning, paving the way for its release on the department’s website in the afternoon.
An online briefing between O’Gorman, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and survivors will take place prior to the report’s publication.
Varadkar today said survivors will have time to read the report tomorrow – they’re expected to be given a few hours – before the document published online.
“We want to give them time to read it because it’s a really big report, but I had it over the Christmas break and it took me a day really to read it, because it’s very, very long and very well done,” the Tánaiste said.
“I have to say the people who drew it up were very thorough, but I think we then need to hear from the survivors themselves and ask them to guide us as to how we can best respond to it.”
The document, spanning just under 3,000 pages, will detail the experiences of women and children who lived in 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes – a sample of the overall number of homes – between 1922 and 1998.
Counselling supports have been put in place for survivors.
The National Counselling Service will provide therapy for survivors, either face-to-face, by telephone or online through secure video. Former residents may arrange counselling sessions by direct self-referral or by written referrals from health care professionals such as GPs.
An out-of-hours service, Connect Counselling, is also available to provide support and is currently providing an enhanced service from 6pm to 10pm seven days a week.
More information on the services can be read here.
We’ll be covering what’s in the final report on Tuesday – on the site and on Twitter (follow @orlaryan and @conalthomas for updates). If you spent time in a mother and baby home or county home and would like to share your experience, please email orla@thejournal.ie or conal@thejournal.ie.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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This is the issue when another business gets involved ie a union, that feels it has to do something to keep its members. They could be on the best terms and conditions and payment in the planet and you would still have issues with union involvement … I think Ryanair were wrong to recognize them …
@Shane Zerbe: They recognised the unions because pilots were already striking. There’s a number of large European low-cost airlines (Norwegian, Easy Jet, Wizz Air, some traditional / flag-carrier airlines) that now provide better pay & benefits than Ryanair for pilots and crew.
If they were willing work with their staff to bring in better pay / conditions then the unions wouldn’t be needed or asked for. They last thing they want is all their pilots to start moving over to other airlines. Emirates is a good example of an airline that is struggling with big pilot shortages over bad pay / conditions and is now badly suffering and having to cancel many flights/routes because of it.
@Shane Corry: yeah that’s the free market working the way it should. There’s no need for union involvement. They’ll end up destroying the airline by going too far. The lunatics always end up running the asylum.
From what I read there is a shortage of pilots worldwide. Why don’t the Ryanair pilots just leave and take a job elsewhere. Surely if there demands are reasonable the other airlines will have no problem in paying up.
@Dave Doyle:
Lots of them did, which is precisely why those that remained were in a strong enough position to demand union recognition from Ryanair.
@Dave Doyle:
“Why don’t the Ryanair pilots just leave and take a job elsewhere?”
They do. Norwegian for example (The biggest european low-cost airline operating the same aircraft type as Ryanair) has been actively poaching many pilots which has partly led to the situation they are in now.
@Shane Corry: Norwegian has failed to return a profit in the last ten years, great to work for though. Long may it continue.
I love Ryanair. I get cheap flights, they arrive on time. During the ash cloud crisis, went to Alicante for 4 nights ended up staying for 12. They paid for my accommodation and food for the extra 8 days we stayed there. Also, Knock airport didn’t charge me for parking my car for the extra days I was away. One of the best holidays, I ever had.
@Maggie O’Sullivan: my flights weren’t cheep, over 1380.00 for 4 of us. If they strike Thursday I hope they treat us like they did you. Here’s hoping.
@Maggie O’Sullivan: I agree completley. People have short memories. Before Ryanair, Aer Lingus had a monopoly in Ireland and were charging extortionate airfares. I remember paying £250 for a flight to London on a cold October day over 30 years ago. The reason the likes of Aer Lingus and BA now have half reasonable airfares is because of Ryanair putting pressure on them. Before Ryanair, only the rich could fly and it seems like many people want to go back to thoes days. I’ve been able to travel all over Europe because of their low fares but some media outlets are even trying to blame Ryanair for cancelling flights because of the french air traffic controllers going on strike. Some people just love complaining.
@Lily: I hope they do!! I’ve never had any faults with them.
@Tom O’Brien: thanks Tom. It’s not even the cheap flights, the passengers bring alot of revenue to other countries which is badly needed. Long live Ryanair, I say!!!!
@Maggie O’Sullivan:
They were legally obliged to pay for your accommodation and food. They fought it every step of the way though.
Hopefully the unions will destroy Ryanair, the company has simply gotten too big for its boots in our socialist republic.
Oh no how will them poor Spanish and Portuguese holiday makers get to costa del Bunmahon now
@liam mc laughlin: bitter much?
@EvieXVI: Get humour much?
I hope Ryanair go bust because they treated me and my family very badly a few years ago.
I am trying to bundle with eir last month or so emailing calling they meant to send me sim card to switch. Every time they to call me back nada. One rep even pretended he d a bereavement to avoid me switching. 180 a month between the 2 bills versus 106 to include mobile in bundle. Any recommendations re leaving eir comreg options etc.
Oh no, how will them poor spani
@liam mc laughlin: Well done Liam
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