Mayo County Council has apologised this week for its role in the operation of mother and baby homes and the suffering endured by those who were placed in the homes.
The council held a special meeting this week, at which both the Cathaoirleach of the council, Cllr Richard Finn, and the chief executive, Peter Duggan, apologised on the council's behalf.
The meeting was initially proposed by independent Cllr Christy Hyland at the council's January meeting and the proposal received the full backing of the other councillors.
Apologising on behalf of Mayo County Council, Mr Duggan said: "As chief executive of Mayo County Council I to wish to acknowledge the publication of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.
"I think it is important that we, as a local authority, acknowledge that Mayo County Council, like other local authorities across the country, through the Mayo Board of Health and Public Assistance, had a role in the provision of health care and hospital services up until 1970 when the health board took over those functions.
"The report makes for very grim reading but I hope that it’s publication will give some solace to those who were impacted by the horrendous regime that was in place. Following publication of the report, An Taoiseach Micheal Martin issued a formal apology on behalf of the state to former residents of Mother and Baby Home institutions and their children.
"Today, I would like to express sorrow and apologise for Mayo County Council’s role in the practices that were employed in dealing with these women and children.
"I want to reaffirm the commitment and renewed determination of this local authority to our efforts to assist and support those impacted and their families and to contribute to the national effort to heal and atone for the grievous harm that was inflicted on these women and children.
"Today I reaffirm the commitment and determination of this local authority to continue our efforts to assist and support the survivors and all of those with a personal connection to mother and baby homes - whilst we cannot change the past, however, it is important that we learn from it, acknowledge the sad and painful truth, the personal impact and heavy burden carried by survivors and humbly acknowledge our failings."
Opening the archives
The chief executive assured survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home that all of the archival material that the council has, will be made available for inspection.
The meeting was told that the files that the council had relating to mother and baby homes was transferred to the then Western Health Board in 1970; however, Breda Murphy from the Mother and Baby Home alliance, who was allowed to address the special meeting, said there was other documentation that the council would have on hand in its records.
She told the meeting that she knew for sure that Mayo County Council would have in its archives, administrative records, including minutes of meetings held by the council. She told the meeting that: "The most revealing parts will possibly be around the time when Tuam was closing and what concerns were aired at the county council at the time."
Ms Murphy went on to say that: "I would urge you to open the records" and "without those records we will get a skewed narrative, I am pleading with the council management to open up those files. If we don't get access to those files we get part of the picture and that is not good enough, if we get only part of the story, we don't get the full truth."
The chief executive said that he wanted to reassure her that any files the council have will be made available. He went on to say that: "I want to reassure you that it was never the intention of the council to withhold any information or archives that may be available. My understanding is that the majority of those would have been passed to the health boards, but any records we have are open for you or any member of your group for inspection, it was never my intention that any records would be withheld."
Ms Murphy welcomed the apology issued by the council during her address where she pointed out that the women from Mayo who had been sent to the home, came from the same parishes they represented and that they had done nothing wrong, but were sent to the home and had their babies "scattered worldwide." She went on to say that the culture at the time also forced a number of these women to have to go overseas when they left the home, due to the power structures that were in place.
Councillors from all sides of the house spoke at the meeting with the whips of the two main parties, Cllr Damien Ryan (FF ) and Cllr Jarlath Munnelly (FG ), both welcoming the apology by the council and reiterating their parties' support of the victims.
The only two female councillors on the council, Cllr Annie May Reape (FF ) and Cllr Donna Sheridan, (FG ) also both spoke about the report and the horror that the mothers and babies went through. Cllr Sheridan also proposed that the council erect some kind of memorial to the victims in a suitable location in the county - the proposal received the full backing of her fellow councillors.
