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A headstone for a baby who died at the Bessborough Centre in Blackrock, Cork in the mid 1990's. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Handover of 25,000 mother-and-baby files indicates "scale and breadth" of investigation

Some 25,000 files have been handed over by the Sacred Heart Adoption Society to the Cork offices of Government agency ‘TUSLA’.

CHILDREN’S MINISTER CHARLIE Flanagan has confirmed that 25,000 files have been handed over from the Sacred Heart Adoption Society to the Cork offices of the Child and Family Agency ‘TUSLA’.

The Sacred Heart Sisters operated three of the country’s largest mother-and-baby homes: Bessborough in Cork, Castlepollard in Westmeath and Sean Ross Abbey in Tipperary.

Speaking in the Dáil, Flanagan said the figure indicated the scale and breadth of the task facing the Commission of Investigation being set up to examine the country’s mother-and-baby institutions.

He made the comments as his Department confirmed that it had received over 100 submissions from individuals and groups as part of the planned investigation.

Senior officials from eight Government departments briefed Cabinet today on the interim findings of the cross-departmental review being carried out in advance of the formal start of the Commission of Investigation.

A number of Government departments and state agencies were asked to scope the issues relevant to the Commission and to report by the end of June.

Flanagan said he intended to move ahead with the finalisation of the terms of reference ”and to bring a resolution to the Oireachtas for consideration prior to the summer recess to facilitate the making of an order to formally establish the Commission”.

Regarding the hand-over of documents to TULSA in Cork, he said:

What we will have to do is go through these documents, as we in the context of the investigation deal with the very sensitive issues involved – by way of insuring that we have at this point in our history a full and detailed appraisal of what went on over the years.

He said the number of files gave a good indication of the the scale of the inquiry, which he said would provide a “detailed history going back to the foundation of the state and up to the 1980s”.

Flanagan has been meeting with survivors’ groups, campaigners, academics with expertise in the area, opposition politicians and religious leaders in recent weeks as part of the inter-departmental review.

Yesterday afternoon was set as the deadline for submissions to the Department — after a dedicated email address was set up earlier last month.

There have been calls to have the Commission include many of the various Protestant-run children’s homes and orphanages, while one group said the investigation may have to examine activities in “around 100″ institutions in all.

Read: It’s not just Tuam… Mother-and-baby probe needs to examine at least 100 institutions, Minister told

Exclusive: Children died of malnutrition, syphilis, heart failure at mother and baby home

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:06 PM

    Ahh, wouldn’t it be great if we had a legal system like this in Ireland, over 40 years in prison for murder, that would definitely be a deterrent.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:12 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: Malcom McArthur is still in prison nearly 40 years later as far as I know. Like the above case, it seems high profile killings attract stricter sentences.

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    Mute Damo.f
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:22 PM

    @Winston Smith: McArthur was released in 2012.

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    Mute Michael Lynch
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:23 PM

    @Winston Smith: MacArthur was in Shelton Abbey, day care centre of a ‘prison’. Not to be confused with harsher regimes in US.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:24 PM

    @Damo.f: right you are, apologies. He did do 30 years though, which is fairly significant sentence.

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:25 PM

    @Winston Smith: I believe McArthur is living around the Stepaside or surrounding areas now but he seems to be the only one who’s recieved such a sentence.

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    Mute Oliver Francis
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:25 PM

    @Winston Smith: he was released in 2012 !

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    Mute Dave Barnaville
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:29 PM

    @Trevor Hayden:

    17,284 reported murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases in the U.S in 2017. Hardly a deterrent.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:36 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: there’s been a few over the years actually. Not in a while and mainly for capital offences, but interesting reading.

    https://courtsnewsireland.ie/7-irelands-longest-serving-prisoners-3/2016/02/03/

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    Mute Brianto
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:59 PM
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    Mute John
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    Jan 31st 2019, 2:42 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: John Cullen is in since 1985 thats almost 34 years and Barnie Dunne is in just as long, there are a few murderers doing a good sentence.

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    Mute Ed
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    Jan 31st 2019, 3:28 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: A great deterrent. Look at how few homicides there are in the United States.

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Jan 31st 2019, 3:50 PM

    @Ed: Comparing the population to Ireland is completely different, then again thankfully we don’t have the same gun controls.

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    Mute Peter Pistolé
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    Jan 31st 2019, 4:08 PM

    @John: yes but he was sentenced 34 years ago. When in recent years has anyone got a proper sentence for murder, or manslaughter as we like to reduce it to here in Ireland

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    Mute Chin Feeyin
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    Jan 31st 2019, 4:22 PM

    @Michael Lynch: Shelton Abbey is no “day care Centre” – far from it.

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    Mute Brian O'Byrne
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    Jan 31st 2019, 5:32 PM

    @Damo.f: he had the government by the short and curleys part of the release agreement was that there would be no book

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Jan 31st 2019, 6:50 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: whatever about the merits of longer sentences as regards keeping murderers off the streets, prison or indeed the death sentence for murder don’t work as deterrents

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    Mute Carmel Reynolds
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    Feb 1st 2019, 3:20 AM

    @Winston Smith: mc.arthur was released a couple of years ago

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    Mute Michael Fitzpatrick
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    Feb 1st 2019, 11:31 AM

    @Winston Smith:

    No he’s not, he served 30 years and was released.

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    Mute John Flood
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:30 PM

    Helter skelter! What that group did back then terrorized California. Sheer brutality. She should remain in prison for the rest of her natural…

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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Jan 31st 2019, 3:12 PM

    @John Flood: I’m guessing that the state is thinking that at her age, she will start costing them more and more on medical services.

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    Mute Patrick Nolan
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    Jan 31st 2019, 3:42 PM

    @Jim Buckley Barrett:
    She will be doing that in or out.

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    Mute Celia Murphy
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    Jan 31st 2019, 2:02 PM

    She was 19 years old at the time..19….theres a lot of stupid adults still out there. Give her some small opportunity for some semblance of a life for a few years

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    Mute Michael Lynch
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    Jan 31st 2019, 3:28 PM

    @Celia Murphy: More than likely institutionalised by now. Mightn’t last long on outside.

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    Mute Rebecca De Stanleigh
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    Jan 31st 2019, 4:32 PM

    @Celia Murphy: Celia I have to agree.

    I have read all the books- my Dad collected books on the Mansons. What happened was disgusting and I still get extremely upset for all the victims- especially Tate and her baby as she was close to her due date.

    But some of the girls were children when indoctrinated into Manson’s cult. The right thing to do might be to let them have some sort of life.

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    Mute Paddy J
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    Jan 31st 2019, 4:54 PM

    @Celia Murphy: 100% agree, she has served her time.

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    Mute Gisbert Bayertz
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    Jan 31st 2019, 4:53 PM

    Troubled childhood – an excuse for everything

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    Mute Shimmy Shammy
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:34 PM

    Anyone know the status of Malcolm MacArthur?

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jan 31st 2019, 5:59 PM

    @Shimmy Shammy: John Shaw is in jail 43 years and counting
    His accomplice popped his clogs in 2012 while in jail

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    Mute Greg Browne
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:21 PM

    Malcolm mc Arthur was released a number of years ago.

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    Mute Frank Emerson
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    Jan 31st 2019, 3:20 PM

    Clearly according to the legal system, if you murder a celebrity, the sentence must be much harsher. Because…..em…….well it just is.

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    Mute Greg Browne
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    Jan 31st 2019, 1:17 PM

    Mc Arthur was released a number of years ago.

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    Mute WoodlandBard
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    Jan 31st 2019, 5:05 PM

    It would think it would be another life sentence to be released from prison. She would find it very hard to get a job, no pension, and probably nobody to take her in. If they did she would probably be some kind of servant, another prison, or on the streets homeless.

    Probably best she serves out the rest in a low security open prison. The big thing is who pays the medical bills from now on, though?

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jan 31st 2019, 7:47 PM

    Murder in Ireland now is manslaughter what a joke

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    Mute Adrian Dervin
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    Feb 1st 2019, 12:12 AM

    Srgnt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band!

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