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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 5h

Sharing with permission a comment from a member of our peer support group which sums up how many affected people will be feeling about the DNA Working Group Report.

Claire, thank you for sharing this. I will confess I actually teared up with frustration reading this. The idea that we, as affected people, are still not seen as competent enough to handle our DNA results, or balance in our heads our two families, without guidance from an 'all wise and knowing' entity like Tusla is beyond insulting. After all that's been fought for in the past few decades, we're still seen as incapable of handling things on our own, when in fact our group experts could run circles around Tusla, AAl and the government.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 11h

Preliminary thoughts on the DNA Working Group Final Report. I have significant concerns about the pathologising of affected people & assumptions positioning us as requiring professional management, preparation & State intervention in our familial relationships. criticaladoptiontheory.com/dnareport/

criticaladoptiontheory.com

Preliminary Observations on the DNA Working Group Final Report – criticaladoptiontheory.com

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Clann has published new guidance concerning categories of records that may not have been provided to some people who applied for information under the Birth Information & Tracing Act 2022. Please feel free to share with anyone affected by these issues. See: clannproject.org/birth-inform...

clannproject.org

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIALLY OMITTED ADOPTION RECORDS

While the withholding of records from affected people has been a longstanding concern, we have recently identified a different form of omission affecting some applications made under the Birth Informa...

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Reposted by Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes

clannproject.bsky.social @clannproject.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

We call on the Govt to immediately release the Bessborough archaeological reports & other evidence in the Mother and Baby Homes Commission Archive. We're also publishing 150+ submissions from affected people which we collated & submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála. clannproject.org/bbstatement-...

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Please help us save Bessborough. If this was Tuam, the government would never dream of allowing a developer to build on the site. Why is Bessborough being treated differently? Click the link below to email all TDs & Senators and urge the government to step in.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

7) The survey is entirely voluntary and anonymous, and it will remain open until 5.00 pm on 10 July 2026. It can be accessed here: survey.alchemer.eu/s3/91131498/...

survey.alchemer.eu

Birth Information and Tracing Act (BITA) 2022 - Participant Survey

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

6) If you're an affected person seeking further guidance on filling out the survey, this is available in our private peer support group here: www.facebook.com/groups/adopt... (Please note that membership is vetted and open only to people with a genuine connection to adoption in or from Ireland.)

facebook.com

Facebook

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

5) If you are receiving assistance conducting the survey over the phone and would find it helpful to review the questions in advance, I would strongly encourage you to ask for a copy of the survey to be sent to you beforehand.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

4) If you would like assistance completing the survey contact Sinéad from Quality Matters on 087-1894039. My understanding is that a member of the research team can go through the survey with you over the phone and record your responses on your behalf.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

3) I fully understand that trust levels are low, but if we are not at the table, our voices will not be heard. As a member of the Service User Advisory Group, which helped guide the design of the research, I will be working hard to ensure affected people's experiences are properly reflected.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

2) I strongly encourage all affected people to take part in the survey if you feel comfortable doing so. This includes people who would like to access a particular service under the legislation but are currently unable to do so.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

1) The survey phase of the review of the operation of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 is now open. The research is being conducted by Quality Matters, an independent organisation with no connection to the State. The survey can be accessed here: survey.alchemer.eu/s3/91131498/...

survey.alchemer.eu

Birth Information and Tracing Act (BITA) 2022 - Participant Survey

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

ℹ️ This is an important opportunity for affected people to feed into the review of services established under the Birth Information & Tracing Act. -- Call for Expressions of Interest: Review of Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 Services - Service User Advisory Group www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

gov.ie

Call for Expressions of Interest: Review of Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 Services - Service User Advisory Group

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Reposted by Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes

clannproject.bsky.social @clannproject.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

2/2 Previously, alongside academic colleagues, with @maeveorourke.bsky.social as lead author, we made a submission supporting the appeal by Bessboro Mother and Baby Home Support Group against the grant of planning permission. The submission can be downloaded at: clannproject.org/planning/

clannproject.org

Planning Submissions

Large-Scale Residential Development at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution at Bessborough (Planning Ref. 25/4442) 17th April 2026: Collation of Submissions from Survivors and Affected p...

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Reposted by Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes

clannproject.bsky.social @clannproject.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

1/2 Today, Clann submitted a collation of 156 observations from survivors and affected people to An Coimisiún Pleanála, objecting to the proposed development at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution at Bessborough. For further information, please visit: clannproject.org/planning/

A photo of the small graveyard at Bessboro

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

4) However, this remains slow, meticulous work that demands a strict ethical approach. In line with our established protocols, JFMR will not be publishing the names of women identified through the 1926 Census.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

3) I expect the 1926 data to be equally vital in our ongoing efforts to honour these women & in challenging the State’s contention that durations of confinement were minimal.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

2) The digitisation of the 1901/11 censuses was transformative for this work, providing compelling evidence of the decades many women spent behind convent walls.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

1) Ethics and the 1926 Census The release of the 1926 Census this weekend marks a significant moment for historical research in Ireland. Over the past two decades, I have used publicly available records to identify women who lived & died within the Magdalene Laundries.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

2/2 Furthermore, the Department has flagged that affected people will be able to feed into the wider statutory review of the Act. We have been calling for this since before the legislation was enacted and the move is very much welcome.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

1/2 The Dept of Children, Disability & Equality has launched a public consultation on changes to the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 relating to illegal birth registrations. The survey is open to all so please get involved if it's of relevance to you: www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

9) In the case of the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in Limerick, an average of 60.4% of the women listed in the electoral registers between 1961 and 1983 died while still confined there. The MNP is currently undertaking a detailed review of the remaining available electoral registers.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

8) The MNP has undertaken similar comparative work using electoral registers for the Magdalene Laundries at High Park, Donnybrook (1954–1964) and Limerick (1961–1983). These show that more than half the women recorded at High Park and Donnybrook remained in the institutions until they died.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

7) A comparative analysis of the names of women recorded in the 1901 and 1911 censuses and those appearing on headstones at Magdalene burial sites indicates that many women experienced prolonged periods of confinement in the laundries, ranging from 11 to 74 years.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

6) MNP sources include gravestones, digitised census records, electoral registers, graveyard registers, death certificates, inquest files, exhumation records, and newspaper archives.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

5) Unlike the McAleese Committee, which relied on the (often flawed) records of the religious orders, the MNP draws on a wide range of sources to establish the identities and whereabouts of women who died while confined behind convent walls.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

4) Likewise, with regard to duration of stay, the findings of the Magdalene Names Project (MNP) directly contradict the McAleese Report’s claims that confinement in the laundries was generally of relatively short duration.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

3) Moreover, the women’s own testimonies make clear that such assertions are untenable. See the McAleese Report itself: www.gov.ie/en/departmen... And read the testimonies of women gathered by the Magdalene Oral History Project: jfmresearch.com/home/oralhis...

jfmresearch.com

Magdalene Oral History Project

Visit the post for more.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

2) On the question of the alleged absence of abuse, it is difficult to see how the confinement of women against their will and their being compelled to work without pay could be understood as anything other than a form of abuse.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

1) It has come to my attention that David Quinn, writing in a Catholic publication and relying on the McAleese Report’s flawed findings, has made inaccurate claims regarding both the extent of abuse and the length of confinement experienced by women in the Magdalene Laundries.

A graveyard with rows of black crosses. There are also larger statues and stone crosses throughout.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

1/2 Please support @carmelcantwell.bsky.social and the Bessboro Support Group, at their vigil on 8th March at 1pm in protest at the Cork City Council decision to grant planning permission for development of the Bessboro site.

Poster with details of Bessboro Vigil, Sunday 8th March at 1pm
The text reads as follows:
The Bessboro Mother & Baby 'home' Support Group are protesting against the development of 140 apartments at Bessborough which has been granted permission by Cork City Council Planning.

If this development goes ahead, it will set a precedent and is likely to lead to further larger developments in the grounds of Bessborough getting planning permission also, which will change the landscape of the whole area.
923 children born in Bessboro died and the burial places of
859 of them are not recorded, but the majority are likely to be buried on the grounds
The remaining undeveloped 60 acres of the Bessborough estate should be preserved as a National Site of Conscience to remember and honour all those that died, as well as the 18,706 women and children that were incarcerated here.
They were forgotten for so long!
In addition to being a place of remembrance, the 60 acre site would be an invaluable amenity for the local community.
We will be appealing the planning decision.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

10) The above observations are based on an initial read of the report. Much more can & should be said about this deeply discriminatory scheme, some of which is set out in this Clann submission: clannproject.org/wp-content/u...

clannproject.org

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

9) The figures/info cited (& not cited) in the report demonstrate how discriminatory the scheme is, how opaque its processes are, how poorly it serves people affected by forced family separation & institutionalisation & how disempowered they feel to fight back against this situation.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

8) 13 data breaches occurred during the period covered, involving 'incorrect' info/docs uploaded/posted & one email was sent to an incorrect recipient. 'Appropriate actions were taken to mitigate against future risks' but no detail on how it happened in the first place or what actions were taken.

Screenshot of page showing data breaches

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

7) 32 complaints were received in the period of time covered by the annual report. This shouldn't be interpreted as an indicator of satisfaction with the scheme. Rather, it speaks to a deep lack of empowerment amongst affected people, further evidenced by the v low number of FOIs (5) & SARs (1).

In the period from 20th March 2024 to 31st December 2024, the Payment Scheme received one Subject Access Request (SAR) and five Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

6) 🚨The reasons for requesting reviews & appeals aren't provided in the annual report (nor are they provided to affected people). We've obtained (some of) these via PQ (h/t @ciaranahern.bsky.social): www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/q.... Why is this information not available as a matter of course?

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

5) The low number of appeals is deeply shocking. Just nine (!) people have requested an appeal & only two of these individuals have had a change to the outcome. NB: ❌ An appeal can only be requested if a review has been done ❌ A review can only be carried out in a limited number of cases

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

4) The number of requests for review is also low (433) & the outcome of these requests is not at all clear. I believe that 'NoD [notice of determination] issued' means there has been a change in the original decision, in which case just 76 people (17.6%) have had a successful outcome.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

3) The number of applications is shockingly low (just shy of 6k), with awards paid to just 58% of these applicants.

Screenshot of graph with the above figures

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

2) The 'values' of the scheme (⬇️) are contradictory in the extreme: Inclusivity? Equality? Human rights? ℹ️ The scheme is not human rights compliant. Thousands are excluded from even applying to the scheme & not all applicants can request a review. (For ℹ️ see clannproject.org/wp-content/u...)

Screenshot of annual report showing the scheme's purported 'values':

Kindness and service excellence
Respect and inclusivity
Equality & human rights
Integrity & commitment

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

1) Minister Norma Foley has finally published the 'Mother & Baby Institutions Payment Scheme' annual report for 2024. Just a few initial observations: ❓It's Feb 2026 - why the delay in publication? 📖 It's just 22 pages long, which means it's low on details. This is deeply troubling.

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Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes @cmcgettrick.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

There will (rightly) be much focus on Tuam in the coming days. But we can’t forget there are many other sites with remains unaccounted for, with families seeking answers & justice, e.g., @carmelcantwell.bsky.social @consumerfrank.bsky.social All burial sites deserve the same level of scrutiny.

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Reposted by Dr Claire McGettrick Born Lorraine Hughes

jfmresearch.bsky.social @jfmresearch.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) welcomes the forthcoming release of Testimony in Irish and UK cinemas from 21st November. Further details, including screening times and dates are available at: jfmresearch.com/testimony/

A group of survivors, affected people, family members, along with members of JFMR

Testimony poster. Screening details are available in the link provided.

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