IRISH SUNDAY MIRROR COMMENT:

FOR too long now the Government has bandied about phrases like “survivors” and “redress” while sweeping the mother and baby homes scandal under the carpet.

What we are in fact talking about is mothers and children whose lives have been ruined and who thus far have not been offered so much as an apology.

One of those women is Ann O’gorman, who took the brave step to report her daughter as a missing person in a bid to get some answers.

Ann was a frightened teenager when she gave birth to baby Evelyn at Bessborough 47 years ago – and to this day she does not know if her child is dead or alive.

Her story shines a light on what went on in those barbaric institutions where mothers were worked to the bone and children were mistreated and malnourished.

Nuns deserve much of the blame, but it could not have continued for so long had the State not turned a blind eye to the forced adoptions and high infant death rates.

Her experience is like that of Philomena Lee, whose efforts to trace her son Michael were thwarted by nuns at the institution where he was born and buried.

And, like Philomena, Ann won’t rest until she gets the truth.

She needs to know once and for all what happened to her baby girl Evelyn. It’s the very least we owe her.