Government may expand mother and baby homes inquiry

By Fiach Kelly, Kitty Holland, Lorna Siggins
Irish Times
March 6, 2017

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/government-may-expand-mother-and-baby-homes-inquiry-1.3000351

The site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home, Galway, before excavations began. Photo by Niall Carson

The Government is considering expanding the scope of the inquiry into mother and baby homes to include a far greater number of institutions than initially planned.

Government sources said the prospect of expanding the Commission of Investigation is being examined in light of public concern since confirmation last week that the remains of a “significant” number of babies and infants up to three years of age were found on the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Several hundred bodies were discovered under the site of the former institution for unmarried mothers run by the Sisters of the Bon Secours.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday described what has been discovered in Tuam as “appalling, truly appalling”, and said the terms of reference for the inquiry would be expanded, if necessary.

“This is not something that happened way back in the dawn of history,” the Taoiseach said. “This happened in some cases in our own time. It’s a horrendous situation for those whose siblings were treated in this fashion.”

The most likely way of expanding the terms of the inquiry, it is understood, is to carry out initial assessments of county homes that may have dealt with unmarried mothers and babies. In such a scenario, any entity that had not dealt with mothers and babies would be excluded.

“The mother and baby commission will only deal with mothers and babies,” said one source.