Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2021
458. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on funds being made available for the erection of memorials for mother and baby homes. [6017/21]
View answerIn responding to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, the Government has approved the development of a Strategic Action Plan encompassing a suite of 22 measures. Most importantly, we will take a survivor-centred approach to the development and implementation of these measures. The Action Plan has a number of distinct themes including: access to personal information; archiving and databases, education and research; memorialisation; dignified burial, and restorative recognition.
In the area of memorialisation the Action Plan focuses on 4 key pieces of work, including: the development of a national memorial: support for local memorials; funding for survivor-led annual commemoration, and the creation of a children’s fund to honour the memory of the children who died in these institutions.
My Department is committed to exploring the mechanisms to provide support for local memorialisation projects in conjunction with the Local Authorities and other relevant parties. A number of Local Authorities have publicly indicated their willingness to these projects in the context of their individual responses to the findings of the Commission of Investigation. Funding will need to be provided and related practical matters will be considered in the development and implementation of the Strategic Action Plan.
