In 1920s Ireland, one in four children born to unmarried mothers died in infancy compared to one in 16 for married mothers, a committee of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was told yesterday.
Patrick Gageby SC, for the Mercy Sisters, described the disparity between the figures as an "astonishing difference" and said it was "very high" compared with figures for England and Wales at the time. He noted also that in 1930 alone, 66 babies were found dead in Ireland.
Mr Gageby was questioning Paul Gilligan, chief executive of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, at a public hearing of the investigation committee of the commission.
Mr Gilligan spoke of the shame associated with births to unmarried mothers at the time, as well as the economic cost, since the mother could not work. David McGrath SC, for former residents of institutions, asked whether it was more likely illegitimate children ended up in care.
Mr Gilligan said there were no statistics to illustrate the matter as illegitimacy was not a category used, but that there was clear evidence from annual reports of difficulties placing illegitimate children in institutions.
Asked by Mr McGrath whether he was aware illegitimate children were treated differently in the institutions, as related at private hearings of the committee, Mr Gilligan said a sense of social stigma was attached to illegitimacy at the time. A mother felt shame and would not return home until her child was dealt with.
He said that generally then,some 70 per cent of referrals of children to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (it became the ISPCC in 1956) were by members of the public, with the rest by gardaí, officials, schools, and school inspectors. Neglect was the single biggest factor involved.
Between 1 and 3 per cent of children so referred were committed to industrial schools, on average. He agreed it was a concern to the society that children so committed would face the problem of stigma later in life. There was no evidence the society engaged in either thinking about or providing aftercare for such children, he said.
Mr Gilligan , on his own behalf and that of the ISPCC, wanted to "clearly say and express profound regret to children who were committed to industrial schools where they were subject to any form of abuse".
