My Department is currently in the process of establishing the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme following the enactment of the necessary legislation in July of this year. As you know, I commenced discussions with regard to a contribution from the religious orders towards the cost of the Payment Scheme and I recently secured government approval to engage a negotiator to conclude these discussions.
While these discussions are ongoing they are being treated as confidential. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate to say anything further at this time but I will brief Government on the matter when the process is concluded. I expect this process to take a number more months.
No financial contributions were made by religious congregations to the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme.
Questions as to the contributions made by religious congregations to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme should be directed to the Minister for Education as I am not in a position to provide that information.