Birth cert scandal requires justice

■ Yet another scandal has surfaced belatedly, euphemistically being called “incorrect registration of births”.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar referred to this as “another dark chapter of Irish history” in the Dáil on Wednesday.

No, Taoiseach, this is not history – this is an ongoing crisis for thousands of people including birth and adoptive parents but most especially for those whose births were “incorrectly registered”. These were not “incorrect registration” or simple mistakes.

At the very least, falsifying official records may involve serious criminal offences, unless of course the laws at the time were designed to avoid criminalising those elite persons in Irish society who were perpetrating or benefiting from these “incorrect registration of births”.

These elites include many medical professionals, male and female religious persons, as well as the fathers of many of the children involved.

Mr Varadkar also stated the issue “must be dealt with sensitively”. We must question whether the need for such sensitivity may be to protect the interests of these elites at the expense of the victims in this scandal, mainly the children whose births were knowingly incorrectly registered and their vulnerable mothers.

As with the cervical cancer scandal, it is vital this scandal be resolved quickly before its victims conveniently die.

What is needed now is not delaying enquiries or sensitivity but some restorative justice and, where possible, fairness. But most of all the truth instead of all the lies that were told.

Edward Horgan Newtown, Castletroy, Co Limerick