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Controversial Mother And Baby Homes Bill Approved By TDs Last Night

Friday, 23 October 2020 07:12

All Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs in the midlands voted for the bill, which has been sharply criticised.

TDs voted last night to approve a controversial bill that sends a database created by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission to Tusla.

It's been sharply criticised for failing to open up records to survivors - and the speed at which it was brought through the Oireachtas.

Five Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs in the midlands voted for the bill - Peter Burke, Robert Troy and Joe Flaherty in Longford-Westmeath and Charlie Flanagan and Seán Fleming in Laois-Offaly.

Sinn Féin's Brian Stanley voted against the bill.

The remaining TDs - Barry Cowen of Fianna Fáil, independent Carol Nolan, and Sinn Féin's Sorca Clarke - did not vote.

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman said the aim was to preserve the work of the commission to aid in the tracing of relatives.

But Dr Maeve O'Rourke, lecturer in human rights at Maynooth University, says many survivors of the homes just don't have faith in Tusla to do that:

Social Democrat councillor in Offaly, Clare Claffey says the bill has been moved through the Dáil too quickly:

See the Dáil member voting results below:

Tá (78 votes cast)
Níl (67 votes cast)

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