Stormont probe ‘ignored forced adoption victims at mother and baby homes’
SURVIVORS of forced adoptions at mother and baby homes have claimed they were excluded from a Stormont working group tasked with investigating abuse at the institutions.
Mothers and those born in the homes who are now adults accused the group of failing victims, saying there is no urgency to progress the inquiry. The inter-departmental working group (IDWG) was set up at the end of February to investigate historical abuse at the homes.
Norah Gibbons — who was a member of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse in the Republic — has been hired as an independent chairwoman. The group has only met twice and has yet to appoint researchers.
Requests to see minutes of the meetings by a campaign group of survivors — Birth Mothers And Their Children for Justice NI — have been denied.
Eunan Duffy, who was born in the Marian Vale mother and baby home in Newry before being taken from his mother against her will and placed for adoption, hit out at the “lack of progress”.
He claimed that the working group was not showing enough urgency and that the survivors had not been consulted.
Mr Duffy said: “How can a group investigate what went on in these homes without involvdiscussions ing us? We have been completely excluded.”
He added: “We are still living with the consequences of what happened in these homes.
“While this process drags on, survivors are dying without any redress or apology.”
Mr Duffy requested copies of the minutes from the working group’s two meetings under Freedom of Information legislation, but was refused on the basis it would not be in the public interest to share the details.
The group said in its refusal letter: “There is a significant risk that disclosure would result in less candid opinions being expressed and therefore weaken the quality of the decisions yet to be taken.
“Appropriate time must be given to allow robust and candid Independent: Norah Gibbons has been hired as chairwoman for the Stormont working group to take place, which in turn will allow informed policy decisions to be taken at a future date.”
Mr Duffy said: “I am angry at the total lack of co-operation and consultation.”
The Executive Office insisted in a statement that the working group “is sensitive to the views of all those who have suffered abuse and committed to a process of ongoing engagement”.
A spokesman added that after Ms Gibbons was appointed as chairwoman, the IDWG met for the first time on March 29 this year and again on September 14. It has also conducted business by correspondence.
He added: “One of the first tasks of the IDWG was to oversee the procurement of research on mother and baby homes/Magdalene asylums. The procurement process is near completion.
“Among other things, it is intended the research will consider the entry and exit pathways of women to mother and baby homes/Magdalene asylums, the living and working conditions and care arrangements for residents, mortality rates, post-mortem and adoption practice.”