[ad_1]
Updated 20 minutes ago
THE GOVERNMENT HAS said it will establish a national archive of records related to institutional trauma during the 20th century, in a statement issued tonight on the homes of mothers and babies.
In the statement, the government said it met today and had a “detailed reflection” on issues of public concern raised in recent days.
“The Government recognizes and regrets the genuine pain felt by many people in Irish society,” the statement said.
“He is determined to take the necessary actions to ensure that these concerns are addressed in a timely, appropriate manner and that it focuses on the needs of victims and survivors.”
The government said it agreed to a series of next steps, including work to establish a national archive of records related to institutional trauma during the 20th century.
This will include archiving records and testimonies of victim and survivor witnesses.
The government said it will be installed “in a suitable place” and designed in cooperation with professional archivists, historians and survivors.
The Minister of Children, Roderic O’Gorman, will receive this Friday the report of the Commission on Homes of Mothers and Babies and the government will indicate that it will be published “as soon as possible” thereafter.
The long-awaited report is understood to be about 4,000 pages long, but it will not be published when Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman receives it this week.
However, no timeline has been set for when the report can be released, and the department noted that “a number of procedural issues” must be met before this can occur.
GDPR
The Department of Children together with Túsla will continue to collaborate with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure that people’s right to access their own personal information is respected, the government said.
He added that the HSE will accelerate the provision of support for the health and well-being of survivors.
The government also plans to proceed with legislation providing for “sensible and appropriate actions” at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway, where the bodies of 796 infants and toddlers were discovered in a sewage container. in 2017.
The final report of the Commission will be sent to the Attorney General for legal advice on whether it could harm any criminal process.
“The 2004 Law requires the minister to consider whether the publication of the report could publish any criminal proceedings that are pending or in progress, if so, the minister is obliged to ask the court for instructions on the publication of the report,” the department says .
The minister is aware of statements he has received that various parties have submitted complaints of a potentially criminal nature to the Garda authorities. Examination of these matters will require collaboration with the Attorney General, the Garda Commissioner and the Director of the Public Ministry.
The government also said it will develop a “comprehensive state response” to the report’s findings and recommendations for urgent consideration.
Coalition TDs have said the government was shocked by the reaction to last week’s mother-and-baby homes bill. Minister Michael McGrath said today that the bill was never intended to cause “so much anxiety and anger.”
Today’s Cabinet discussions were described as “very detailed discussions,” but decisions on the issue were made collectively, not by O’Gorman.
No news is bad news
Support the magazine
your contributions help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you
Support us now
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime tonight, O’Gorman’s party leader Eamon Ryan said his minister addressed the issue appropriately.
“I think Roderic himself has said that he would have liked that maybe there were more inquiries, or more inquiries. Our only focus on this is addressing the fears and concerns and legitimate concerns that those survivors have, and our only focus is how we can really help them, ”he said.
With information from Orla Dwyer
[ad_2]