Minister Zappone's invitation for expressions of interest in relation to facilitated discussions for former Mother and Baby Home residents

Dear Sir/Madam

In June, I invited former residents of Mother and Baby Homes and their supporters to participate in a facilitated consultation process following the publication of the Second Interim Report of the Commission of Investigation.

Over 100 people participated in the initial event reflecting the high level of interest in engaging with this process.

I am pleased to announce that a second Facilitated Meeting will take place in Cork on Friday 6th of October. This event is aimed at those who were unable to attend the initial meeting in Dublin.

The meeting will be focused on gaining an understanding of your views on the report and, specifically, to explore if there are particular supports in the areas of health and well-being that could be of value to those who lived for a time in a Mother and Baby Home or County Home.

I am are pleased to confirm that experienced facilitator, Mr. Jim Halley, will once again help us with this event, so that we can get the best value from the discussions and to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. Jim is a past Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and he is an internationally respected mediator and facilitator. The meetings will be held in private and will fully respect the right to confidentiality of all concerned. I attach a copy of the terms of reference that I have given to Jim.

I want to ensure that this initiative does not pre-empt or undermine the work of the Commission, which is due to report in February next. I have in mind a process that will help us identify possible supports for unaccompanied residents, without prejudice to what the final conclusions or recommendations of the Commission might be.

In order that we can plan properly for this second meeting, we are now inviting expressions of interest in attending. I’d be grateful if you could complete the attached short form for this purpose.

I look forward to hearing from you.

With kind regards.

Katherine Zappone TD

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs