SURVIVORS of the controversial mother and baby homes in Ireland will have to wait at least 18 months for any redress.
Minister for Children Dr James Reilly, brought the terms of reference for the governmental commission into the matter to the Dáil.
The programme laid out is set to be spaced out over the next three years, with a review after eighteen months.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Derek Leinster, a survivor of Dublin’s Bethany Home who is now based in the Warwickshire town of Rugby. “But its 13 years too late.”
The commission is aiming to fully investigate the mistreatment of both mothers and children from the homes, as well as look at the adoption of the children born within them.
The Irish Government launched the inquiry into the homes last year, following the harrowing discovery of a mass grave at the site of a former home in Tuam,
Co. Galway.
Under the supervision of Judge Yvonne Murphy, the commission will conduct a thorough investigation into allegations of mistreatment in these homes.
“We will come to a greater understanding of how it was that we as a society failed in our treatment of women and children in these homes,” said Minister Reilly.
“The Ireland of 2015 is unrecognisable in terms of our advancement in our understanding of human rights compared to the early part of the last century.”
St Patrick’s home survivor David Kinsella said, on the whole, many of the survivors are satisfied with the progress made in this week’s revelations.
“We are quite delighted with the content of the terms of reference,” he said. “The only thing I would have liked to have seen are the words ‘compensation, ‘redress’ or ‘restorative justice’.”
While the terms of reference do not explicitly state that the survivors will receive their much sought after redress, most are confident that they will get justice at the end of the programme.
