Kathleen Funchion seeks date for Mother and Baby Homes report

Thanks, Chair. So, Minister, this question is in relation to the Mother and Baby Home, the Commission of Investigation Report, and when you plan to publish that report. Thanks. Thank you very much, Deputy. Following its five-year statutory inquiry, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters delivered its final report to me on 30 October. I signalled previously that there would be a short time interval between receipt of the report and the separate arrangements for its publication. It's essential that publication is done in the right way, with former residents being given the priority and support they deserve. In recent weeks, I've spoken to former residents and advocates in this area, including a majority of the Collaborative Forum and representatives of many of the organisations and individuals affected. I've listened carefully to their views and concerns. The work around the publication of the report is at an advanced stage, but I'm mindful, too, that the uncertainty around when those affected will be able to read the report could add to their anxiety. For this reason, and in the hope of offering some reassurance, I wish to confirm today that I will be bringing a memorandum to government in the week of the 11th of January next, seeking approval to publish the report immediately. I also intend to publish the sixth interim report from the Commission at the same time. I recognise how important it is that former residents and their families are the first to be notified about plans to publish the report and how to access it. My department contacted former residents earlier today to tell them of the planned publication arrangements. Deputies will agree that it is important that former residents are informed first. In my communications to survivors this morning, I also highlighted the counselling supports available to those who feel they need additional support immediately and over the Christmas and New Year period. Available capacity in these services will be primed to respond to the anticipated increased demand when the report is published and in the weeks following. An information line has been established in my department and all relevant contact information is on my department's website. The deputies will be aware that the general scheme of the institutional burials bill was approved by the previous government in December of last year and referred for pre-legislative scrutiny. Due to the general election in February, this didn't happen. It's my intention to bring the memorandum to government on the general scheme of this bill, also in the week of the 11th of January, and then refer it to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability and Integration for pre-legislative scrutiny. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I welcome the fact that there's a date for publication. I know myself, along with many others, have been anxious to get a date, but I am also very mindful that today exactly marks three weeks of Christmas Eve, and I've been speaking to many survivors and various representatives over the last kind of two weeks, let's say. I've had a number of online meetings, and people are really concerned that the report was going to be published and everyone would just leave them high and dry over the Christmas period. And unfortunately, that has been their experience of dealing with the state over the years. They have been let down, so I don't blame people for feeling like that. It is absolutely vital that the correct counselling supports are put in place. I mean, they should have actually been put in place a long time ago, regardless of whether a report was being published or not. But now that we will have the report, and I believe it's 4,000 pages, and it's going to really be very difficult reading. Obviously, it was a very difficult lived experience for so many people and their families, but it's important that they're the correct counsellors and that people are not just, you know, guided on to some number that you're on a waiting list and you're going to be 18 months waiting, or somebody that doesn't really understand that it needs to be like trauma-specific counsellors dealing with people, and they need to be services that are available specifically for survivors and those affected, not sort of added on to an existing overburdened service. And I think that's absolutely crucial, but I do welcome that we have a date, because I think it's important for people to be able to prepare for it, sort of mentally as well. Sorry, I didn't realise I was over time. Thanks, thanks, Deputy. And look, like yourself, I've been in touch with a significant number of survivors over the last number of weeks, and I've heard the various views, and look, there are various views out there, but talking to more and more that real sense of the closer you get to Christmas, and look, it's been a hard year for everybody. This Christmas is going to be a difficult and unusual Christmas, and with the significance of this report, it was clear to me that bringing it and publishing it close to Christmas wouldn't be appropriate, and that's why we're giving clarity today that we have a specific date. The second week in January, we'll bring it forward in that week. I take on board absolutely all that you're saying about the need for the provision of appropriate counselling and supports at that time. We're engaging on a consistent basis with the Department of Health and the HSC, and when the announcement is made, there will be clarity as regards the counselling services, but those counselling services will be put in place at that time, and you're right that that's absolutely essential and necessary. Margaret, the Hockta. A few final points I want to make. It's really important, obviously, that survivors and people affected by this get the report first, and while that might seem like common sense to everybody, there has been, I suppose, a history and a pattern of things being leaked, of people hearing media stories. I was contacted by people that thought actually the report was being published this week, and that wasn't the case, so it's really important that survivors get copies. Some people have even contacted me asking, will they get a copy? Will they have to read it online? And that might seem like, you know, of course you're going to get a copy, but that does need to be reaffirmed to people. They do need to be communicated with and told, yes, you will get a copy, and yes, your views will be respected in terms of, you will get this first before it's released to the wider public. I think that's the absolute least they deserve. I want to briefly mention Besborough, and I welcome the fact that you've mentioned the Burials Institutional Bill and the pre-legislative scrutiny, that we will definitely have that in January. But this week, or I think in the last week or two, there has been a planning application in relation to Besborough, the former site, and the burial grounds is included in that, and people are concerned that maybe works or something is going to go ahead there. And really, we should have that pre-legislative scrutiny and have that bill passed before, I suppose, any works are carried out. Good morning. Merle. So, two important and separate issues there, Deputy. Besborough, I'm aware of the planning application. I've engaged with one of the kind of leading survivor groups for survivors from Cork. I was looking at the planning application this morning. I'm concerned about that planning application, which I'm not going to say more about now, but I am very aware of what's happening there. As regards engagement and informing survivors, so the survivors on our departmental mailing list were mailed this morning with information. So, the plan is that it will go to Cabinet that week, and following the Cabinet meeting, myself and the Taoiseach will host a webinar solely for survivors, and we'll discuss and bring out the major conclusions of the report for survivors, and we'll only be after that, and it will be available to... We'll do a press conference then for the general public, but we will be engaging with survivors first and telling them first. I think probably the following week, we'll allow time, because everyone will need time to read it. There'll be time for an extensive dull debate on the issue as well, but we'll provide more detail in the new year about the specifics of getting this report to survivors. Thank you.