The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse resumes it public hearings this morning when its investigation committee begins an inquiry into residential institutions run by the Sisters of Mercy.
Today and tomorrow it will hear evidence from representatives of the congregation on the Our Lady of Succour industrial school, at Newtownforbes, Co Longford.
In March, the committee will begin its inquiry into the Goldenbridge orphanage, also run by the Sisters of Mercy and which was the subject of the ground breaking Dear Daughter programme broadcast on RTÉ television in 1996.
The Newtownforbes industrial school was at the centre of controversy in February 2003 when an advertisement was placed in newspapers asking people to come forward who had knowledge of the institution through professional, social or other contact, including those "who consider that their experience of life in the institution was positive".
The Aislinn group, which represents victims of abuse in residential institutions, accused the commission of inviting evidence from people who were "treated as pets" in the institutions while failing "to invite victims who encountered negative experiences to come forward".
Within 20 years of being established in 1831 the Sisters of Mercy had convents in all 26 dioceses in Ireland and were involved with orphanages from early on.
When the Industrial Schools Bill was passed in 1868, they changed designation of eight of these orphanages to such schools, and opened two more.
By 1884 they were running 27 industrial schools involving 2,246 children.
In 1941 that figure was 2,522. In 1971 they were running 16 industrial schools with 576 children- 241 boys and 335 girls. In 1977 care of the children was transferred to health boards, with the last being transferred in 2003.
At a preliminary hearing of the commission's investigation committee last July, Sister Breege O'Neill, congregational leader of the Sisters of Mercy, said there were "between 100 and 150 children" in each school, being cared for by four or five people, two to three of whom were sisters, working "seven days a week, 24 hours a day".
The congregation accepted fully its responsibility for abuse that occurred in its institutions, but other agencies had a responsibility as well, she said.
