Danny Healy-Rae questions report leak, demands answers on homes
Danny Healy-Rae questioned who leaked the report on mother-and-baby homes and demanded answers and accountability. He argued those affected have a fundamental right to know their origins and called for anyone responsible for past abuses to be identified and brought to justice.
Questions over report leak
He directly asked who leaked the report, whether it was a government strategy, and who received copies. He criticised a recent vote to hide details for 30 years, saying the decision drew nationwide anger and that the leak raised questions about transparency.
Right to identity
He said it is a fundamental right of any person to know who they are, where they came from and who their parents were, or at least as much information as possible. He emphasised that records and access should not be hidden from those seeking their origins.
Historical abuses recounted
He described the forced placement of pregnant girls into mother-and-baby homes and county homes, and said boys and girls were then sent out to work for wealthy farmers. He recounted degrading treatment like being fed outside or handed meals through windows and referenced the Kerry babies case and a saga extending up to 1998.
Call for legal action and accountability
While noting apologies from the state and other bodies, he insisted the law of the land should be applied to remedy cases where wrongdoing occurred. He urged that anyone still at large who committed offences between 1988 and 1998 or earlier should be apprehended and held to account.
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First of all, I want to ask, again like others, who leaked the report? Was it strategy by the government? How did it happen? Who leaked it and who was given copies of it? I believe that as well as the state and other bodies, I welcome them saying they're sorry, but I believe that the law of the land should be applied wherever it can be in any cases that need to be remedied or to be sorted out. Because, only go back a few short years, we see how willing the state were to get involved down in Kerry with the Kerry babies case and we know what wrong has happened there and yet the Gardaí were used to the maximum there, where the murder squad down there and the highest people in that force were down there at that time. It amazes me that this saga continued on up until 1998. I didn't know that. And your government voted here a few weeks ago to hide and slash away details of people, hide them away for 30 years. He got it in the neck though from the people all around the country and he got it in the neck though from the people all around the country and he was sorry a couple of days later and now you're trying to remedy yourself. It is a fundamental right. It is a fundamental right of any person to know who they are or where they came from or who their parents were or at least as much possible knowledge as could be obtained. They are entitled to know that and it shouldn't be hidden away from them anywhere. What happened was wrong. Forcing pregnant girls into mother and baby homes and even into county homes and then boys and girls were forced to go out to work as happy as they could for wealthy farmers. That was wrong and then on top of that they weren't even treated like human beings. Many of them were fed outside in the yard or outside in the dairy or the dinner was handed out the window to them. That was wrong and I resent the people and reject the people that did those bad things to people because human life is precious and everyone has the same right to live and should be treated equally. And clearly these people in our past were not and if there's any people still wandering around from 98 or back to 88 that have done wrong they should be apprehended and brought to task for it. Thank you very much. Thank you.
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