Irish inquiry: Families mistreated unmarried mothers
About 56,000 unmarried mothers and 57,000 children were in the homes investigated by the commission
Updated: January 15, 2021 03:46 AM GMT
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A shrine in Tuam, County Galway, erected in memory of up to 800 children who were allegedly buried at the site of the former home for unmarried mothers run by nuns. (Photo: AFP)
An Irish government commission that spent five years investigating the treatment of unmarried mothers in state-funded church-run homes in Ireland said the blame for their harsh treatment rests primarily with their families, but that both the church and state condoned this.
The report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters was published Jan. 12 and reviewed 18 institutions from 1922 to 1998. It found that Ireland was a cold harsh environment for many, probably the majority, of its residents during the earlier half of the period under remit. The report
It’s almost 20 years since the State signed an agreement with religious orders that indemnified them from claims arising from decades of child abuse in Church-run institutions. In return the 18 congregations said they would hand over €128m in cash, counselling services, and property transfers. Further voluntary pledges were sought by the government in 2009 in the wake of the publication of the damning Ryan Report on abuse. Somewhat astonishingly the process of collecting the pledges made continues to this day. The overall offers made by religious organisations come to less than a third of the €1.5bn cost of redress so far with just €240m – around 16pc – fully realised to date.
Thousands died at mother and baby homes over many decades.
A number of the unmarried mothers never spoke about this to other family members, the commission added.
It said: “Despite the fact that thousands of babies died, the commission is aware of only a few mothers, who were not in the institution when the child died, who subsequently sought information on the burial locations of their children.
“At least one was given incorrect information – this was unforgivable.”
One of the most notorious homes was at Tuam in Co Galway in the west of Ireland, where significant human remains were found.