GALWAY (IRELAND)
Galway Advertiser
January 24, 2021
By Declan Varley
Green party Senator Pauline O’Reilly has called on Galway County Council to issue a full apology to the survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Homes at their meeting in Corrandulla tomorrow (Monday ).
Soeaking in the Seanad, Sen O’Reilly commended all of those who came forward, adding that said that no one could read their reports and not say that it was abuse and neglect.
While calling out the Church and Galway County Council, she said that the ultimate responsibility “lies with a State that did not provide women with alternatives, that did not prosecute rape, that did not provide them with contraceptives, and that acted in a deferential way to a Church that used its power and was allowed to use its power to abuse others”.
As part of her speech, she made a personal apology on behalf of the State and said that “we must be judged by our actions”.
She called for Galway County Council to make an apology for the huge part that it played and the Minister, Roderic Gorman, said that he agreed with his colleague that that would be appropriate and that other local authorities could follow this lead. “Tuam is highlighted over and over. Nearly 1,000 people died and as we are all well aware that they were shown no dignity in death.
“Their families continue to have no closure, with scant records and no tracing having been carried out. The conditions were among the worst in the country. This was an institution run by nuns, but also by the local authority.
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