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Katherine Zappone RollingNews.ie

Over 400 potential witnesses come forward after mother and baby homes appeal

The commission has been granted an extension to the time frame for the publication of two of the three reports it is preparing.

MORE THAN 400 potential witnesses came forward following a public call-out by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission.

As such, the commission has been granted an extension to the time frame for the publication of two of the three reports it is preparing.

The cabinet signed off on the extension today.

The commission said it remains committed to completing its investigations within the three year time-frame provided in the terms of reference. All reports are now due to be completed by February 2018.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone said the extension will not delay the government’s response to the commission’s findings.

In a statement, she said: “The extension is to accommodate the large number of witnesses coming forward and to ensure that all new information discovered is accurately recorded to give a full understanding of the social history involved.

The case put forward for the extension was convincing. The commission points out that the number of confidential hearings with witnesses is expected to reach 500, with 150 witnesses already meeting with the confidential committee to date.

“I accept that the extension will cause disappointment, and I have asked that representative groups are fully informed not just about the decision but the background on which it was made. I will make arrangements to meet representative groups in September,” Zappone said.

The interim report published today focuses exclusively on the request for the extension of time.

Read: Adopted people are desperately trying to seek their natural families – before it’s too late

Read: “Ireland saw her as a fallen woman – but she was my mother”

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15 Comments
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    Mute brendan fitzsimons
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    Apr 9th 2020, 11:45 PM

    They should simply cancel all traffic offences where no injury occurred and all TV licence charges.

    That would reduce some of the load.

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    Mute Tom Heffernan
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    Apr 10th 2020, 12:33 AM

    @brendan fitzsimons: Hey Bren, one might think that you have a few penalty points on the way, or the lad with the TV license check, is hanging around your area! Wink,wink,

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    Mute John Stafford
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    Apr 9th 2020, 11:29 PM

    Public has to have acess to the hearings.

    Justice must be done but must be seen to be done.

    Can’t have public justice done in private for obvious reasons.

    I’m sure this will fail in an accused states it’s obvious flaws.

    At moment done with accused consent

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    Mute Belebop
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    Apr 10th 2020, 9:39 AM

    Stephen, you might want to change the F for C?

    3
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