Arrangements are in place in my Department to process applications for payments under the scheme from the women involved. A copy of Mr Justice Quirke’s report and an application form was posted to all women who had already registered an expression of interest with the Department. In excess of 672 applications forms have issued to date and 259 completed forms were returned for processing by close of business yesterday. The verification process for some applicants will take time depending on the availability and extent of records.
The Government has also established a committee with key Departments and the Office of the Attorney General to examine how best to implement Mr Justice Quirke's other recommendations. While it has been decided in principle to implement these recommendations in full, implementation of some of them are quite complicated and may require legislation. The Group held their first meeting on 4 July and I expect them to report back to me in about 6 weeks.