At a special meeting on February 15th Tipperary County Council agreed to a number of actions:
A working party has been established comprising the CEO, Joe McGrath, the Cathaoirleach, Cllr Michael Smith and Leas Cathaoirleach, Mary Hanna Hourigan, the county Archivist, Rachel Granville, Meetings Administrator, Ger Walsh and representatives from the Sean Ross Abbey Survivor Group – We Are Still Here would complete the working party.
The council agreed to provide the group will full access to any records of meetings that the council had in respect of Sean Ross Abbey Home and to offer the services of the County Archivist to facilitate access to these documents.
The Council unanimously passed the following motion: “That Tipperary County Council calls on the Government to introduce a National day of recognition for the survivors and victims of Mother and Baby Homes. That Survivors of Mother and Baby Homes should have the right to information about their birth Mother and their full identity. The Government would establish a proper redress scheme for survivors and victims and immediately provide counselling and other mental health services to survivors of Mother and Baby Homes to support them in this remarkably difficult time. Also, that we as a council recognise the Historical role that County, Borough and Town Councils from Tipperary played in the running of Mother and Baby institutions in this County, so that we can be sure that this sad part of our past is known and not hidden away.
That the government would also support the excavation, exhumation and where possible the identification of remains of babies buried at institutions and ensure their dignified reburial and in particular support the endeavours of the We Are Still Here Sean Ross Group to complete a 3D scan dig of identified burial locations at Sean Ross.
The Council also calls on Minister Roderic O ‘Gorman to extend the lifetime of the commission to allow the DPC (data protection commission) to fully investigate the destroying of recordings of evidence without making full transcripts. This immediate action is required to preserve the testimony of witnesses”.
