Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was a member of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when I heard at first hand the heartbreaking testimonies of those affected by the mother and baby homes. The last time I spoke on this issue, I read testimonies that survivors made to the commission of investigation. I will read again some of these testimonies because it is important to hear these women's voices.

One woman spoke about the conditions her mother endured while giving birth. She stated her mother "was tied to the bed and when she couldn't push, one of the nuns sat on her chest to make her."

On the immoral and evil practice of forced adoption, one person stated her son "was wrenched from my breast by one of the nuns whilst I was feeding him and taken away for adoption. At no time did I give my consent to my son's adoption."

Another mother spoke about the death of her child: "I do not even know whether he was buried in a coffin... There was never even a kind or sympathetic word spoken to me."

The psychological impact on mothers has been enormous. The Government thinks it has gone far enough to rectify the wrongs of the past, but the State can never go far enough to right the wrongs that were inflicted on survivors of residential abuse.

We had a previous Bill that discounted anyone - adult or child - who spent six months or less in a mother and baby home. This arbitrary decision not only did not acknowledge the lifelong impacts of institutional residential abuse, it also failed to validate those survivors who spent less than six months in a mother and baby home.

The Bill before us legislates for the provision of supports to survivors of residential institutional abuse, the dissolution of the statutory body, Caranua, and the transfer of certain functions to the Minister for Education. The legislation should ensure that all survivors of the residential institutions covered have equal access to all supports outlined in the Bill, irrespective of whether they have already received an award or settlement from Caranua or a similar court award or settlement.

The Department of Education representative at the committee stated the Department "did not envisage an eligibility process or application process for people who did not apply under the redress scheme." However, a representative of the Christine Buckley Centre for Education and Support argued that "we have to be mindful not to exclude people who did not apply for redress." The centre "discovered after the redress closing date that a lot of survivors had thought the redress was just to do with sexual abuse and not emotional or physical abuse". I ask the Minister to take this into consideration as this Bill progresses through the Oireachtas.

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