The commission presents to the minister the report of homes for mothers and babies

THE MINISTER OF CHILDREN has confirmed having received the final report from the Investigation Commission on Maternal and Child Homes.

The commission was created more than five years ago and the presentation of the long-awaited report, which is about 4,000 pages long, was delayed several times. His records, and whether or not they will be sealed for 30 years, have been the subject of much debate in recent weeks.

In a statement tonight, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said he had forwarded the report to the Attorney General, as required by law, for legal advice on whether the release of the report could harm any pending or ongoing criminal proceedings.

The Attorney General’s office has received additional resources to expedite this review, he said, and the government has committed to publishing it as soon as possible.

The Minister will meet with the commission in the coming days to discuss the report’s findings and recommendations.

O’Gorman said he wanted to pay tribute to those who shared their personal experiences with the commission, particularly the survivors of these institutions and their families.

“I hope that by having the opportunity to share their experiences, former residents and their families feel they have a voice; that they have been heard, that their pain is acknowledged and that their experiences are now being documented, ”he said. “As difficult as this report is, I hope it can help the healing process.

I would also like to thank the commission and its staff for the painstaking and detailed work they have done over the past five years in producing this report. The report received today is among the longest reports yet produced by an investigation of this nature. The commission’s work will undoubtedly shed an important light on a dark and difficult chapter in very recent Irish history, a story that is a living memory for many of our citizens today.

“I understand the expectations for the early release of this report and want to emphasize that I will seek government approval to publish the report as soon as possible.”