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THE OIREACHTAS CHILDREN’S Committee is set to invite the chairperson of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes to appear before it.
The committee made the decision at a private meeting yesterday and plans to send a letter to Judge Yvonne Murphy, the chair of the three-person commission, in the coming days.
Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman, whose department oversaw the release of the report, will be invited to attend a separate meeting with the committee.
Survivors will also be asked to attend another hearing so they can raise any questions or concerns they have.
The report, spanning 2,865 pages, details the experiences of women and children who lived in 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes between 1922 and 1998. It was published on 12 January, nearly six years after the commission was first set up.
Many survivors have criticised the report, in particular conclusions which state there was a lack of evidence of forced adoption and abuse, despite testimonies contradicting this.
Kathleen Funchion, the chairperson of the Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, noted that Justice Murphy is not compelled to appear before the committee but she hopes the former judge will.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie today, Funchion said there is a lot of hurt and anger among survivors on foot of the report’s publication.
“People were led to believe that the reason it was going to take so long was because everything was going to be gone through with a fine tooth comb, it would be really well put together, really well researched and analysed.
“And it just seems like, at the end of the day, it was just rushed, or that’s how it reads.”
Forced adoption
The finding that there was “little evidence” of forced adoption makes no sense Funchion said, noting that many survivors gave testimony about being forced to give their babies away.
“It’s just difficult to understand how they came to those conclusions.
“We just feel that there are certain questions that we could put to her on behalf of various survivors and survivors’ groups who may not have the opportunity to do that themselves.”
Minister O’Gorman will also be invited to appear before the committee to answer questions about redress and upcoming tracing and information legislation.
Funchion said the committee has a role to play in ensuring the government’s redress scheme and other support for survivors are “implemented” and, in some cases, “strengthened” or changed.
For example, the government has committed form of “an enhanced medical card for anyone who spent more than six months in one of these institutions”. The committee wants this six-month limit to be removed so that anyone who spent time in the institutions can get an enhanced medical card.
The committee also wants to government to reject the recommendation “that women who entered Mother and Baby Homes after 1973 do not have a case for financial redress” because because the Unmarried Mothers Allowance was introduced in 1973, saying this is unfair.
In his State apology to survivors on 13 January, Taoiseach Micheál Martin thanked the three commissioners – Justice Murphy, Professor Mary Daly and Dr William Duncan – and their team, for their work on the report.
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$kum . If caught, Send their parents the bill, or take it out of their dole. Would stop fairly quickly
@DMurph: I was listening to a radio show a couple of days ago, and apparently your not allowed to call them $cum anymore, they would prefer if you would refer to them as children under conflict.
It’s not the kids fault, they had tough upbringings.
….blah, blah, blah
@DMurph: …because the children of middle class families are little angels.
@Matt Connolly: you are the first to mention class.
@DMurph: How do you know they are the kids of the unemployed, have you given the info to the Gardai as you seem to know quite well who the kids are? Children of employed people can be skum too.
Skobes will be skobes
Would a curfew be a solution,imposed on children of a school going age ,with financial liability for any damage done put on the parent /parents,?civil liberty comes with civic responsibility.
It’s worth noting that this a lovely area to live generally, with great amenities and close to town. It has become more settled in the last number of years and a home to many new, young families. Therefore it is crucial that this recent spate of arson is dealt with so that we can all return to enjoying the community we live in. Also, locals have been very supportive since the fire and have volunteered their time to the home owner to help her with repairs to her home. A great testament to community spirit in the midst of this very challenging and upsetting behaviour!
Zero tolerance is whats need in this country now if it can be done in N.Y it can be done here!
The bin companies have a role in this particular risk, in requiring that bins be out before 6 am, which leads to putting them out overnight.
Not alone are they a fire risk, but also a footpath obstruction for prams, wheelchairs & sight handicapped persons.
Also, bin day should also be a no parking day, so that the trucks, & other services can clear gutters, drains, & the bins placed off the paths.
Pyromania is an early indication of a sociopath,I do hope it’s not youngsters,what will they develop into ?The Gaurds should have a free rein,and all the resources necessary to bring these people to book ,and the judiciary be given the powers to impose long sentences on them. The one good thing to come out of this incident is that the community gave support to the victim and only the community can cough the perps up.
Sc00mbags
The new bollards erected to cut off traffic between Millbourne and Millmount Ave travelling to Ferguson and Walsh road is going to encourage more anti social behaviour with less traffic in the area to deter these youths from running riot……
Nightmare store of loons who are criminal and will become worse as they get older?
Locals have a very good idea about who is committing these acts, they’ve have been at it for over two years now. Most of the people who live there have been made aware that this is a bad bad sign for things to come. Guards say there is little they can do. With what I hear about the traffic changes there, its going to go only one way with these young people. While Drumcondra is a good place to live, its actions like this, that made me happy when my youngsters moved.
have your say