Case Studies
David
David was born in a Mother and Baby Home that fell outside of the remit of the Commission, due to the Commission only investigating a limited number of Mother and Baby and County Homes, and not examining the issue of adoption in Ireland as a whole. For these reasons, David could not participate in the investigations of the Commission of Inquiry and was unable to give testimony or make a submission – leaving him feeling excluded, and unheard.
David says:
David believes that the Taoiseach’s apology in January 2021 fails to sufficiently acknowledge the experiences of birth mothers, adoptees or stakeholders in these homes or acknowledges those that could not participate in the Commission’s inquiry.
While David has felt excluded and let down by the Government of Ireland, he believes that the Irish public understand the deep pain experienced by so many people who suffered because of forced or coerced adoption from Mother and Baby homes, and the withholding of vital information for adoptees and their families today.
David is clear about what the Irish Government needs to do next, to begin to make amends and help people who were adopted and their families heal. He believes that a one-off grant should be given to adoptees using DNA services in order to access information, and that the history of Mother and Baby homes should be taught in schools and that a museum or repository about Mother and Baby Homes should be located in several neutral locations, not at the sites of the Mother and Baby Homes themselves.
On a personal level, David wants to feel like his human rights are respected in the country he calls home.