Openness and transparency about process of CoI Report into Mother and Baby Homes is key to transitional justice
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has today added its voice to calls, from survivors and members of Government and the Oireachtas, that members of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes accept an invitation to appear before the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Criticisms of the Commission of Investigation Report into Mother and Baby Homes by survivors and others have been well-documented. IHREC has previously stated that there needs to be a systemic change in how the Irish State treats survivors of state wrongdoing, who seek justice and redress for the abuse and trauma they have suffered.
Notwithstanding that the Commission of Investigation is independent of Government, IHREC believes that it has, as a statutory institution established to examine Mother and Baby Homes and practices relating to women and children who were resident there, a responsibility to respect the principles of transparency, openness and accountability, which underpin transitional justice.
Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission stated:
“The Commission of Investigation Report into Mother and Baby Homes left many important questions unanswered for survivors, their families, and their supporters, in particular about how their personal testimony was dealt with.
The Oireachtas, having established the Commission of Investigation, is an appropriate forum for members of the Commission to account for how it exercised its mandate, including the limitations of that mandate. IHREC calls on members of the Commission to accept today’s invitation from the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to answer questions from public representatives, in a public forum, about its work.”
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Jean O’Mahony, Head of Strategic Engagement,
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Editor’s Note
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is an independent public body, appointed by the President and directly accountable to the Oireachtas. The Commission has a statutory remit set out under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act (2014) to protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland, and build a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is Ireland’s national human rights institution and is recognised as such by the United Nations. The Commission is also Ireland’s national equality body for the purpose of a range of EU anti-discrimination measures.