Latest Laois News: Local TD tells of family’s Industrial School sentence

Local TD has horror story of family ‘sentenced’ to Industrial School

Ryan Tells of Family “Sentenced” To Industrial School

Teachta Patricia Ryan spoke today in the Dáil, in the debate  on the Motion re the Commission of Investigation into the Mother and Baby Homes.

Deputy Ryan raised an inspection carried out in the County Home in Kildare in 1952 which found the following

“where twenty of the thirty-four children admitted, were members of families who failed to secure accommodation, or any other temporary secession of home life. Almost seventy years later we have many more children spread throughout the county, and indeed the country, who are in emergency accommodation because of the failure of successive governments to build public homes on public land. I have no doubt Minister, future governments will be apologising to these children if we don’t make a real effort to improve their situation.’

The Kildare South TD told the horrifying story of one family impacted by this system and who are still living with the consequences.

‘I spoke to a man whose entire family was sentenced to Industrial School. What was their crime? Their mother died when he was three, and their father was a working man. He was found in the care of his eldest sister, by the National Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children. ‘To this day he presumes he still has a criminal record. A criminal record Minister. Why? Because his mother died.’

Deputy Ryan continued to outline how this man was one of the lucky ones, rescued by an aunt when she noticed he had two black eyes during a visit. His sister, however, was not so lucky.

The Sinn Féin TD told the tragic history of his sister who

“Spent her entire childhood in an Industrial School, and after just a short spell of freedom, she spent the rest of her days in various psychiatric institutions and unfortunately, while in the care of the state she had a number of children. Despite not having the capacity to consent to sex.”

Deputy Ryan called for an enquiry into psychiatric institutions. She also asked for answers for the family.

She finished by saying ‘Minister, you say in your report you “understand people are angry” I don’t think you understand how angry.’