Council associates itself with state’s Mother and Baby Home apology

Westmeath County Council has formally associated itself with the state apology issued by Taoiseach Micheál Martin to former residents of Mother and Baby Homes.

Following agreement between parties on the council, a statement was read by council official Anne Galvin at the January meeting of Westmeath County Council, held online.

In the statement, the council has committed itself to “actively participate with government” in furthering the state’s action plan for follow-up actions in the wake of the release of the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and baby homes.

The council statement said that the government now intended to consider the findings of the report with a view to drawing up an action plan which would include providing the right to former residents to access information and facilitate dignified burials for the deceased children.

“The Commission’s report contains detailed information on one Mother and Baby Home in Westmeath,” the statement said, adding that this was the home in Castlepollard, which operated between 1935 and 1971. It noted that the Commission found that 4,972 women had stayed there and 4,559 children were either born or admitted there, of whom 247 had died, mostly within their first year.

Before 1970, the public health authorities, including Westmeath County Council, contributed to the cost of keeping residents in Castlepollard, the statement said. The council is committed to supporting local measures that form part of the suite of follow-up actions, such as providing access to archives and records.

By agreement prior to the meeting just one speaker per party was allowed comment on the matter.

Fine Gael councillor Tom Farrell said his party echoed the comments in the statement made by Westmeath County Council.

“The tragic occurrences in the Mother and Baby Homes, as evidenced in the report, are truly a source of shame for our state – and many of these reports stem from an institution in our own county,” he said.

“We must learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure safeguards are in place to protect our most vulnerable from events such as these ever happening again.”

Cllr Farrell said it was also important to recognise the grief and loss suffered by the victims of abuse and to attempt to make amends to the women concerned. He also said it was important that counselling be made available to all women and children affected by their experiences in Mother and Baby Homes, and that they were granted access to archives.

“We cannot let this dark period in our history be swept under the carpet, but instead remember all those vulnerable girls and women who suffered and indeed the many women and children who sadly passed away prematurely,” he said.

Cllr John Shaw of Fianna Fáil said he did not believe there were any words that could undo the past and the damage that was done. He said it was necessary that Westmeath County Council play its part in the action plan, and he was confident that the council would not be found wanting in that regard.

Green Party councillor Louise Heavin extended thanks to the council for its commitment to action. “The content of the report is shocking – and shocking because these people were under the care of the local authority and we supported this institution and there was clear abuse.”

Cllr Heavin said these were people who had needed care and support and they were left without both of those. She remarked that while the report had examined the Castlepollard Mother and Baby Home, it had not looked into the records of the County Home in Mullingar, also run by the local authority.

“It was also a difficult environment for all residents,” she said, expressing the view that Westmeath County Council members should also look at other aspects of society that need attention – the needs of carers, of people with disabilities, and look at providing supports to bridge the equality gap that exists for women. Included on this list was she said the need to put an end to the direct provision system which she described as shameful.

Labour Party representative Cllr Denis Leonard welcomed the council statement and said it was vital that action followed. He believes the council needs to make an apology in its own right.

“I think we have a sad chapter in our council’s history,” he stated, pointing out that while some councillors had raised concerns over what was happening in the home, nothing had happened. Cllr Leonard observed that the infant mortality rate had been high; that the children had been only lightly clothed, and he concurred with the view that this had been happening in the County Home as well as in Castlepollard.

Running through the personal accounts of those who had been there were a number of common themes – rape, incest, coercion, beatings, fear of neighbours’ opinions, abandonment, shame on the family, been created like a criminal, their identity being taken, post being opened, and forced adoptions.

“The role of the religious is strong in this – but so was the state,” he said, adding that a question that also needed to be asked was “where were the men?” in all of this.

“The men disappeared; the women were left with hard labour, chopping wood, cutting trees, dairy work, and laundries for incredible hours while the fathers of these children were often in paid labour where they did not have to work as hard.”

Cllr Leonard noted that last week’s Westmeath Examiner carried an account of how an inspection by members of Westmeath County Council of the 1940s reported the institution to be well-run, a credit to the sisters and there were no grounds for complaint.