THE MINISTER FOR Children has confirmed he has received the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

The commission was set up over five years ago and the submission of the long-awaited report, which is about 4,000 pages long, was delayed a number of times. Its records – and whether or not they will be sealed for 30 years – have been the subject of much debate in recent weeks.

In a statement this evening, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said he has referred the report to the Attorney General, as required by law, for his legal advice as to whether publication of the report could prejudice any criminal proceedings that are pending or in progress.

The office of the Attorney General has been provided with additional resources to expedite this review, he said, and the government has committed to publication as soon as possible.

The Minister will meet with the commission in the coming days to discuss the report’s findings and recommendations.

O’Gorman said he wanted to pay tribute to those who shared their personal experiences with the commission, in particular the survivors of these institutions and their families.

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“I hope that, by having the opportunity to recount their experiences, former residents and their families feel that they have a voice; that they have been heard, that their hurt is acknowledged and their experiences are now documented,” he said. “Difficult though this report will be, I hope that this can assist the healing process.

I would also like to thank the commission and their staff for the thorough and detailed work undertaken by them over the past five years in compiling this report. The report received today is amongst the longest reports yet produced by an inquiry of this nature. The work of the commission will no doubt shed an important light into a dark and difficult chapter of very recent Irish history – a history that is living memory for so many of our citizens today.

“I understand the expectations for early publication of this report and I want to emphasise that I will seek government approval to publish the report as soon as possible.”