Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

This morning.afternoon.

The State is due to outline today the nature of its opposition to a series of pending High Court challenges against the report of the mother and baby homes commission.

A deadline of today was set for the State and Government to produce papers detailing the basis for its opposition to at least seven cases.

The cases, including one by retired nurse Philomena Lee, have been brought against the Minister for Children, the Government, Ireland and the Attorney General.

A number of sources said the question of who bears responsibility for the report may be addressed as a key issue in the High Court today, with the State arguing that such responsibility rested with the commission before its dissolution.

State to address High Court cases against mother and baby homes report (Irish Times)

Meanwhile..

Social Democrats TD, and Children’s Committee member, Holly Cairns writes:

“Today, in the High Court, the State will strongly defend the report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission in legal actions brought by survivors against the report.

“Simultaneously, Children’s Minister RoderickO’Gorman has said he believes survivors and intends appointing an independent expert to review the testimony of survivors given to the Confidential Committee.

“Which is it? Does the government support the report, as it claims in the High Court? Or does it believe there are such fundamental problems with it that it is necessary to now authorise a separate review of its contents?

“There is an inherent contradiction in the government’s approach. It can’t simultaneously defend the report and suggest it is so fundamentally flawed that a separate review into the report is now required.”

Previously: Vow of Silence

RollingNews

Roderic O’Gorman says the Commission have told him that “they acted in good faith in what they did”. But he says he has engaged with the AG on the destruction of tapes.

— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) February 16, 2021

The Minister says if the Commission is extended for the purposes of an investigation, the commission would have to retain its archive. Jennifer Whitmore points out that parts of the archive have been destroyed.

— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) February 16, 2021

This afternoon

Oireachtas Children Committee.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman is taking questions on the deletion of witness testimony from the Mother and Baby Home report.

Watch live here.

Earlier...

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman

This morning.

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman has defended the deletion of audio files of witness testimony at the Mother and Baby Homes Commission.

Many survivors say their testimonies were changed and the Data Protection Commissioner has asked the commission to provide a legal basis for the deletion of the records.

Via RTÉ News:

In a letter sent to the committee last week, Mr O’Gorman said the commission asked for witnesses’ permission to record their testimonies on the clear understanding that they would only be used as an aide memoire for compiling the report and would then be destroyed.

Mr O’Gorman said that while he did not speak for the commission, this approach was taken in order to protect people who wanted to engage confidentially with the inquiry.

“In the absence of such arrangements, those whom the State wished to encourage to engage with the process might have been inhibited from ever disclosing information. Such inhibition could have defeated the very objective of establishing the inquiry.”

Minister O’Gorman will appear before the Oireachtas Children Committee at 4pm.

Deletion of witness recordings at Mother and Baby Homes Commission defended (RTÉ)

Yesterday: ‘Time Is Not A Luxury That Many Survivors Have’

RollingNews