Data Protection Commission seeks answers on destruction of mother and baby homes recordings

The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has written to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission over the destruction of recordings of witness testimony.

A total of 550 people provided personal accounts to the confidential committee as part of a five-year investigation into mother and baby homes, however, these recordings have been destroyed and no verbatim transcripts were made of the testimony.

“Survivors who gave evidence to the commission in good faith have stated that the record of their testimony was presented incorrectly, the recordings would have served as a means of verifying and allowing them to correct their written record to reflect the testimony they gave,” said Maree Ryan-O’Brien of adoption rights group Aitheantas.

Read more: Irish Examiner, 2 February 2021