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Mother and Baby Homes survivors overwhelmed ahead of report publication

Tuesday, 12 January 2021 12:43

Survivors of Mother and Baby Homes say they're feeling anxious and overwhelmed ahead of the publication of today's report.

The Commission of Investigation's work over the last five years looked at 18 homes and is expected to show 9,000 children died in the institutions.

The cabinet is meeting at the moment to consider the findings before they're presented to survivors early this afternoon.

Two years ago an interim report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was unable to establish where up to 900 children who died at the Bessborough home in Blackrock here in Cork were buried.

Mary Harney, who was born in Bessborough in the 1940s, says it's a momentous day.

"I feel like it's a historic moment. I'm anxious. People say 'oh it's the long awaited five year investigation report' - no. We've been waiting 72 years for justice.

"It's still a historic event as we'll get to know the facts."

There are reports of divisions within the Government after details of the report were leaked in the Sunday Independent at the weekend.

However speaking on his way into Cabinet this morning, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says today isn’t about that. 

"We'll investigate that, but that's not the real story today.

"The story today is of the mothers and their children, who are in many cases far on in years.

"It's their story today, it's not about the political system, it's about those people and our recognising that what was done to them was wrong."

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