Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697751041876.pdf (Ireland)
Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme Bill 1 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

Submission According to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, children who were boarded out, “that in some cases experienced some of the worst abuses”.
The Commission of Investigation went on to state that “……… systematic evidence relating to “Boarded Out” children was scant”.

(Government Publication, 2021) This lack of information on ‘Boarded Out’ children may be due to the commission’s report title.

In this title there it appeared were working for those who were in Mother and Baby Homes with no mention Adoptee’s or Boarded out children.
Most children who were “Boarded Out” do not have memories of being in Mother and Baby Homes or County Homes, therefore, were not aware of a Redress System for “Boarded Out”.

Few have personal early medical or health or personal information.

Some have no idea where they were even born.

Therefore, to address this lack of evidence I have completed the table below, showing some of the experience of abuse, living condition, and care I experienced under the care of the state in Ireland.
I have remained in contact with two of the four children who were boarded out in a house in County Offaly.

This foster mother was funded from Offaly County Council, this information was kept from the detainees therefore, we believed she maintained us from her state Widow’s Pension.

This particular “Boarded Out” arrangement began in 1960 and finished in 1973.

I was seven years of age and this was the final Boarded Out arrangement with Offaly County Council was made.
Two of the children left the foster home at end of age of sixteen, one remained to look after the Foster Mother as she was by this time elderly.

She also worked for a living to contribute to the household.

She remained until 1984 when the Foster Mother died and left the home to a relative.

2 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

Subject Home Number of Children Clothing Household Cleaning Evidence • Co. Council cottage in very rural area of County Offaly.
• One mile from Primary School and three miles from Second level school.

• The house had electric light, open fire for cooking, no running water, water collected from rain and drinking water collect from well, about 250 yards away from house.

• No inside sanitation.

• The house had two small bedrooms, one with a double bed and two single beds the second bedroom.

• One sitting room and one kitchen with open fire.

• Two sixteen-year-old girls who left shortly into 1960 to work in United Kingdom.
• Three girls aged 4.5, 5, and 7 years.

• Mostly second hand but later new clothing came twice a year which included underwear shoes and socks, one outer piece of clothing.

• Each child had one set of Church clothing, 1 School outfit and 1 set of work clothing.

• Carried out by girls including wash-up, cleaning, feed chickens or any other inside work deemed necessary.

gathering fuel for fire and cutting and saving turf in May.
• • Planting vegetables, gardening, washing clothing • Collected neighbors cows each evening for milking, payment one pint of milk for household Personal Hygiene • No bathroom, top and tail each day, soap and water • Hair washed once a week, often got lice, then hair was cut School Punishment Physical Verbal Abuse short by foster mother.

• Clean underwear given once a week, school clothes washed on Friday for Monday.

• No toothbrush or toothpaste.


• Attending school was important both primary and second level.

Very few toys or reading material available.

• Homework was completed after chores.

• Attracted beatings for incorrect homework and made to correct same regardless of time.

• Very severe for not completing chores • Very severe for misdemeanors usually with blackthorn stick • Hit with knives cut, and left to heal without medical intervention • Hair pulling beating about the head.
• Frequent face slapping with no forewarning.

• Knocking down and jumping on you on the floor while holding on to a table.

• Hitting severely for crying and for not crying.

• Constantly told how one came into this world.

• Told you were dirt.

3 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

Psychological Abuse Sexual Abuse Food Tenderness • You would do the same as your mother because it was inbred in you.

• Your family did not want you.


• She was giving you a home until you were sixteen only.

• It was not your home.

• Living there on sufferance.

• Send to Industrial school if you did not do what you were told.

• Needed to clean houses to pay for your food and neighbours houses for same reason.

• Told you were ugly • Told you came from dirt • Told you would be available to men whenever they wanted you, but none would marry you because of who you were.

Said in very vulgar language.


• Called slow, stupid, bastard, ugly, some unrepeatable language • Locked in house in the dark when she went visiting.

• Discussed you in front of you to her friends, outlined your faults, except for inspector/nurse who discusses my mother’s failings and faults and made suggestions as to punishments which would prevent me following in her footsteps.
• Beat others in front of you, with promise you would get the same if you intervened • Promised to beat you sometime in the future so you would wait in fear • Made you walk around with no clothing to collect sticks.

• Only for her you would be stupid, retarded.

• When I was sent to work with a local farmer to help on the farm he insisted I pleasure him, when I told her what he was doing I got a slap in the face and told to shut up because I was just like my mother.

Never sent there again.


• Brown bread and margarine for breakfast with tea or porridge • Brown bread and margarine with tea for lunch • Potatoes and vegetables for dinner with bacon twice a week fish on some Fridays.

Had own chickens and hens.

• No food allowed outside of meal-times.

• No treats.

• No hugs, no future home, owned nothing, owed others for your food, clothing, • Christmas present from Offaly Co. Council.

No Santa • No experience of positive touch.


4 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

Conclusion: It is important to note the above is provided for information purpose and not for sympathy.

One thing Boarded Out children cannot tolerate is patronising sympathy.

From the above it is important to note that children suffered all the same abuses as those in the homes.

At times the abuse was relentless and long standing.
These children were left completely vulnerable to their caregivers being violent, religious bias, and to predators.

We were also left vulnerable to being used as slave labour to local farmers during busy time.

This work included harvesting, weeding, childminding, cleaning, when their own children refused to carry out mundane tasks.

You were further left to having inadequate or dangerous living conditions.
At sixteen or seventeen children were expected to move out into the world with no real skills or ability to support or maintain yourself.

You had no-place to go when you had time off or during a holiday period.

You were alone and had to make your way in a world where you tried to live a lie (telling people you had no family living).

A lot of people who left either industrial schools or from “Boarded Out” establishments went into the service industry, care-homes, and the army.
This provided you with a possible temporary home and career, until you were established enough to afford a more permanent home.

When Mr. M. Martin apologised to people for the abuse people experienced by church and state he talked about family abandoning the mothers and grandchildren, it further criminalised in my mind being born into illegitimacy.

I felt traumatised again after his apology, I felt abandoned by my birth family and not good enough to be even a member of the extended family.
In my opinion, once the left the Mother and Baby Home she could get away with the stigma of being an unmarried mother, she could get married or have a career if she so chooses The illegitimate child could never do that, each time you move into a new job you had to bring in your birth certificate, when you got married, when you applied for a past-port, you were again, open to verbal abuse, and discriminatory comments.

You had no-place to go when you had time off or during a holiday period.
You were alone and had to make your way in a world where you tried to live a lie (telling people you had no family living).

You are constantly living the trauma and others knowing carrying the stigma for what your parents did.

Quickly you became very independent, you learn how not to treat people but most never how to care for yourself.

You learned how to not trust others or depend on anyone.
You learned to cry quietly and put all your energy towards educating yourself further than you needed, so you could feel good about yourself.

After it all you still found it difficult to like you.

Eventually you learned to appreciate who you are and how to learn to view yourself in a kinder manner, in the process developing strategies for standing up for yourself.

You also learned how to take care of your mental health as per the information below.
I began my first introduction into self-help when I first came across Abreham Maslow around 2000, and his Hierarchy of Needs.

He clearly showed me the damage I suffered, how my Human Rights were violated, how I was not in a equal manner with other children who born to married couples.

It clearly outlined the toxic life I lived and those who had a ‘Duty of Care’ towards me, did fail me dramatically.

Some of the issues I have been left to deal with alone and at my own expense.
5 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

1.

Reproduction Issues 2.

Hierarchy of Needs not met 3.

Physical Health including Sympathetic Nervous System Disorders 4.

Mental Health including Anxiety Disorder 5.

Psychological Disorders 6.

Abuse, physical, psychological, verbal, and mental abuse.

7.

Relational Problems 8.

Historical or Generational Trauma, Anxiety issues suffered by my children 9.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 10.


Attachment Disorder 11.

Abandonment Issues I would be grateful if you were to reconsider including those who were “Boarded Out” as part of this redress service.

We are the last group of survivors, to be able to avail of redress.

This will be the last time our government will be asked to right the wrongs carried out to us and be able to move on in the belief we did not deserves the anguish and harsh treatments in out formative years.
This may allow us to live out our days in a world where we can trust in our government, trust in the system.

Self-treatment Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: is an idea in Psychology proposed by Maslow in 1943 in an article in a Medical Journal titled “A Theory of Human Motivation.

Abraham argued that failure to have needs met at need one could lead to death.

From two to four could lead to both physical and psychological illness and on to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
To reach Self Actualisation, all four needs would have to be met.

He further argued that the failure to have needs met at various stages of the hierarchy could lead to illness, particularly psychiatric illness, or mental health issues.

Individuals whose physiological needs are not met may die or become extremely ill.

When safety needs are not met, post-traumatic stress may occur.

This clearly outlined the deficits to proper childcare I received as a child.
It allowed me to live with severe mental health issues.

What Contributes to poor mental health?

According to research including W.H.O.

the main causes of Mental Health Issues include: • Largest percentage cause – Stress • Second largest percentage – Abuse (all types) • Third largest percentage – Relational Problems including family 6 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.
What causes Stress: Stress in moderation is part of a healthy life, it will motivate us to achieve, and reach goals.

Excessive stress leads to severe Mental Health including High Anxiety disorders plus P.T.S.D.

Types of Abuse: Abuse includes, physical, psychological, sexual, and verbal abuse, exclusion, discrimination, and all other activities that causes difficulties and harm to others.
Relational Problems and fears are generally rooted in past childhood experiences and triggered by the here-and-now of adult relationships, leading to confusion if a person focuses on examining the relationship solely based on present-day circumstances.

Fear of intimacy can also be linked to anxiety disorders.

Definition of Mental Health Mental health: A person’s condition with regard to, their emotional and psychological well- being.
What it means to be a Mentally Healthy Being, A mentally healthy being is having the ability, self-esteem, self-concept, and confidence, to play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.

A person’s condition with regard to their emotional and psychological well-being.

Mental Health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being.

It affects how we think, feel, and act.

It supports how we handle stress, relate to others, and making choices.
Mental Health is important at every stage of life, from childhood to adolescence and through adulthood and to include reaching actualisation towards end o of life.

(W.H.O.

definition) It is the foundation of the well-being and effectiveness of each individual.

Treatments Available Talking Treatments: Meditation, Hypnotherapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Mindfulness Psychiatric Medication: Antidepressants, Antianxiety Medication, and Mood stabilising medication.
Alternative Therapy: Light Therapy, Reflexology, Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Tai Chi, Weighted Blankets, Yoga, and Aroma Therapy, and D.R.E.M.

Therapy.

Alternative or Herbal Medicines: John’s Wort, and Cannabis-based medicines.

(www.mind.org.uk) Historical or Generational Trauma Historical or Inter-generational trauma is a concept developed to help explain years of generational challenges within families.
It is the transmission (or sending down to younger generations) of the oppressive or traumatic effects of a historical event.

9.Ways it Affects Families Hyper-vigilance, Mistrust, Aloofness, High anxiety, Depression, Nightmares, insomnia, sensitive fight or flight response, Issues with self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-concept.

(Beth Boyd, PhD., Accessed Internet 2022) 7 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.
Attachment Theory Infants are born predisposed to forming attachments.

Children focus on one or two care givers to keep them safe.

This supports the development of confidence, feeling of security and self-esteem.

Separation anxiety emerges when there are many different caregivers, the child will present with low self-confidence, severe insecurity, and lack of self-belief.
Abandonment Issues People with abandonment issues often struggle in relationships, exhibiting symptoms such as co-dependency, an inability to develop trust or even the tendency to sabotage relationships.

Abandonment issues arise when the individual has a strong fear of losing loved ones.

It is a form of anxiety.

It often begins in childhood when a child experiences a traumatic loss.

Abandonment issues can have a significant effect on a persons’ ability to maintain relationships.
(Medical News Today.com, 2021) Abandonment Issues: Symptoms can include: 1.

People pleasing, giving too much to a relationship 2.

Constant anxiety, pushing others away to avoid hurt.

3.

Feeling insecure in romantic relationships 4.

Over vigilance, requiring constant reassurance 5.

Without treatment abandonment issues both in adults and children can make it challenging for the person to form healthy and secure relationships.
I would be grateful if you were to reconsider including those who were “Boarded Out” as part of this redress service.

We are the last group of survivors, to be able to avail of redress.

This is the last time our government will be asked to right the wrongs carried out on us and be able to move on in the belief we did not deserves the anguish and harsh treatments in out formative years and allowed us to live out our days in a world where we can trust in our government.
8 Submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.

Bibliography Boyd Beth, PhD., May 2020, www,ExploreHealth.com Cherry K. 202 ‘Biography of a Psychologists,www.verywellmind.com/-john-bowlby- Maslow Abraham 1943 "A Theory of Human Motivation" in the journal Psychological Review, U.S.A, www.medicalnewstoday.com (accessed April 2022) 2021 ‘The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes’ Gov.

Publications, Dublin.

W.H.O.


2020, Mental Health Issues, (Accessed through Google Search) April 2022 Accessed: Feb 2021 (www.mind.org.uk) 9