The Taoiseach says it's "regrettable" that details of the Mother and Baby Homes report were leaked before survivors were told about the findings.
The report will come before cabinet tomorrow and the Taoiseach is to issue a state apology in the Dáil later this week.
Michael Martin says he'll be addressing how the findings ended up in a Sunday newspaper before survivors were told about them.
The Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance have praised the Children’s Minister’s actions following the leak of the Mother and Baby Homes report at the weekend.
Minister Roderic O’Gorman wrote to survivor groups to say that he is “deeply angered” that details of the Commission report were leaked to the media before being shared with survivors.
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said that he was “very sorry” that survivors had found out details of the report in this way, adding that “it is not acceptable”.
It came as the Sunday Independent reported that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation report has found that 9,000 children died in some 18 institutions investigated.
The Commission was established in 2015 to inquire into the treatment of women and children in 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes between 1922 and 1998.
Breeda Murphy of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance says she shares the Minister’s outrage at the leaking of the report to the media before survivors.
She told Midwest News that sensationalising figures from the report dehumanises the mother and children affected.
Helpline Numbers
National Counselling Service: For anyone who feels they may need professional counselling support, the HSE National Counselling Service is available from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5pm. Details of the National Counselling Service and contact details for each area are listed below.
|
HSE Region |
Area covered |
Telephone number |
|
CHO Area 1 |
Donegal, Sligo & Leitrim |
1800 234 119 |
|
CHO Area 2 |
Galway, Mayo & Roscommon |
1800 234 114 |
|
CHO Area 3 |
Limerick, Clare & North Tipperary |
1800 234 115 |
|
CH Cork, Kerry |
Cork & Kerry |
1800 234 116 |
|
CHO Area 5 |
Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow & South Tipperary |
1800 234 118 |
|
CH East |
South Dublin, South East Dublin & East Wicklow |
1800 234 111 |
|
CH Dublin South, Kildare & West Wicklow |
South West Dublin, Kildare & West Wicklow |
1800 234 112 |
|
CHO Area 8 |
Midlands: Laois, Offaly, Longford & Westmeath |
1800 234 113 |
|
CHO Area 1/8 |
Louth, Meath, Cavan & Monaghan |
1800 234 117 |
|
CHO Area 9 |
Dublin North & Dublin North City |
1800 234 110 |
A new webpage with information specifically for former residents of Mother and Baby Homes has been set up at:
Connect Counselling: Outside of these hours, Connect Counselling provides telephone support. Anyone affected can also directly contact the CONNECT free telephone out of hours telephone counselling and support service where they can talk in confidence with a trained counsellor. This service is generally available between 6pm and 10pm Monday through to Sunday on 1800 477 477.
Do you need to talk to someone now? Free call Samaritans 116 123 or Text YMH to 50808
(Messaging Support Service).
Additional mental health supports provided/funded by the HSE are also available to former residents. Details of these supports are available on www.yourmentalhealth.ie
Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy service (ICAP): ICAP run a counselling and psychotherapy service for survivors of institutional abuse which is available to survivors living in Britain. It is funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland and is provided free of charge. ICAP have many years of experience in providing psychotherapy for adult survivors of institutional abuse and their families and can be contacted on 0207 272 7906 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Contacting the Department: There is also a dedicated telephone Information line available for people seeking further information about the publication of the Report. The Department’s Information Line can be contacted on 01-6473200 from Monday to Friday 9.30am to 6pm.
