The controversial Mother & Baby Homes Bill was passed in the Dail last night.
This concerns the records of mothers and babies put into institutions since the foundation of the State, many born there, and the personal testimonies of survivors.
Opponents of the Commission of Investigation Records Act, under which the testimonies were given, say it will result in the archive of the commission into mother and baby homes being sealed for 30 years.
Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman denies this, and says he is acting to avoid the records being sealed. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has also insisted that the intention is to “preserve invaluable information, not to put it beyond reach”.
Local Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett, who is from Geashill in Offaly, says that without this bill, the records would’ve been destroyed in seven days time.
This, according to the Minister for State, is about protecting a database which was due to be destroyed on October 30.
She said: “I know that survivors and campaigners are deeply upset about the Mother & Baby Homes Bill. I want to acknowledge that, and also acknowledge that we should have done a much better job of explaining what this Bill is trying to do.
“Because what it is trying to do, is what everyone wants, which is to preserve the records, not destroy them.
“It is important to understand that this legislation is NOT about sealing the archive.
“That is already happening under the “Commissions of Investigation Act 2004”, which required that the evidence people gave was private.
“People, many of whom were very vulnerable, gave evidence under assurances that confidentiality would be maintained, and that their testimonies in the archive would be kept private, and sealed for 30 years.
“This Bill is about protecting a database which the Commission compiled in the course of its work. The database was due be destroyed (i.e. fully redacted) on 30th October when the Commission disbanded.
“The Bill aims is to protect and preserve this. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to safeguard an invaluable database so that it is not destroyed, but, can in the future be used to support information and tracing services.
“Minister O’Gorman intends to introduce information and tracing legislation next year.
“Passing this Bill protects the database which will help children who were in mother-and-baby homes to establish their identity.
“That is why I support this Bill, and I welcome Minister O’Gorman’s willingness to engage on the wider issue in the coming months.
“I fully trust he will do that with the interests of the survivors at the centre of his deliberations.”
The Bill passed by 78 votes to 67. Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Solidarity/People Before Profit, the Rural Independents and the Independent Group voted against the Bill.
Five regional Independents also did so, while two supported the Government parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens in ensuring its passage.
