Martin Puts Pressure on Coalition

By Fiachra O Cionnaith and Juno McEnroe
Irish Examiner
June 9, 2014

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/martin-puts-pressure-on-coalition-271457.html


An independent commission of investigation must be set up into deaths at religious-run mother-and-baby homes, should examine claims of illegal adoptions at the facilities, and needs to be completely independent of Church and State.

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin issued the call for action — which goes far further than existing Government plans for an inter-departmental “review” of already available files — after a week of revelations surrounding the deaths of 796 children in Tuam between 1925 and 1961.

Speaking on RTE radio yesterday, the senior Catholic Church official said any commission must be given “full judicial powers” and involve the gardai so individuals can be compelled to provide all records.

He said it should be led by someone “of the calibre” of Ian Elliott, the former head of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, and must be independent of both Church and State to ensure transparency, as Church and State were “entangled” with each other in the past.

Dr Martin said a “social historian” should also be tasked with conducting a study of Ireland at the time of the Tuam deaths in order to better understand “what went wrong” among the Church, State, and wider society.

Insisting that any investigation include all facilities and claims of illegal adoptions, he said the “only way” the country can move on “is when the truth comes out”.

“It’s very important the commission is separate from Church and State; there was an entanglement there,” said Dr Martin.

“The indications are that, if something happened in Tuam, it probably happened in other mother-and-baby homes around the country.

“There’s no point investigating just what happened in Tuam and then next year finding out more.”

When asked how far inquiries should extend, Dr Martin said it must not simply be confined to one facility, or one part of a wider inter-connected issue. “We have to look at the culture of mother-and-baby homes; they’re talking about medical experiments there.

“They’re complicated and very sensitive issues, but the only way we will come out of this particular period of our history is when the truth comes out,” he said, adding that there is “no way” claims of illegal adoptions from the homes can be ignored.

Dr Martin’s comments put further pressure on the Government to establish a judicial inquiry into the Tuam deaths scandal.

They also come as the Dail prepares for a two-day debate into what has been described as the “latest shameful episode involving a religious order and the failure of the State in its duty of care to its most vulnerable and defenceless citizens”.

Currently, the Government’s only measure to examine the situation has been to confirm an inter-departmental “review” of existing Tuam files, which will be concluded by the end of June.

Further details of this Government review — which will include the health, justice, social protection, environment, and children portfolios — are expected after tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting, when options on how to investigate claims about the mass burial of infants will be considered.

Susan Lohan of the Adoption Rights Alliance said Dr Martin’s comments show he has “seen the writing on the wall” and that the Government must follow his lead in setting up a formal inquiry.

“Not doing anything would be a PR disaster for the Church, both in Ireland and worldwide,” said Ms Lohan. “Mr Martin knows only too well from direct representations by various groups the full extent of these issues.”