The eleventh-hour discovery of backup recordings of survivors\u2019 testimonies should not deter the D\u00e1il from seeking a one-year extension to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, Jennifer Whitmore TD said today.<\/p>\n
Speaking following the D\u00e1il debate on the Social Democrats\u2019 Private Members\u2019 Motion calling for an extension, Deputy Whitmore said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government must not play\u00a0games with our motion. If it is allowed to pass in the D\u00e1il, it needs to be brought into effect immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything, the sudden recovery of the survivors\u2019 recordings makes the need for the Commission to be extended even more justifiable. There are so many unanswered questions arising from this latest development \u2013 questions that cannot possibly be answered by the time the Commission is due to be dissolved in a few days\u2019 time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been told that a sample of the 550 recordings have been tested and are accessible and audible. However, are survivors now expected to take that leap of faith that every single last testimony is available and are all intact? What happens in the coming weeks if it is discovered that some elements of the testimonies are, in fact, gone? Who answers to that and who is accountable then?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe retrieval of this data is only one element of why the Commission needs to remain in existence. Many survivors do not believe that the Commission\u2019s final report accurately reflected their lived experiences. Without transcripts of their testimonies, it going to be near impossible to prove that this was the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, if survivors choose to seek a judicial review in their search for justice, they will be stymied by the dissolution of the Commission on February 28. It will be impossible for them to secure answers from a body that no longer exists.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is clear from Opposition contributions today that there is widespread political support for the Social Democrats\u2019 motion. If it is allowed to pass in the D\u00e1il tomorrow, it must be followed up with immediate Government action.\u201d<\/p>\n
February 24, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The eleventh-hour discovery of backup recordings of survivors\u2019 testimonies should not deter the D\u00e1il from seeking a one-year extension to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, Jennifer Whitmore TD said today. Speaking following the D\u00e1il debate on the Social Democrats\u2019 Private Members\u2019 Motion calling for an extension, Deputy Whitmore said: \u201cThe Government […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[268,8,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jennifer-whitmore","category-latest-news","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n