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Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2021

Thursday, 27 May 2021

Questions (43, 74, 89)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

43. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times the Mother and Baby Home Collaborative Forum has met since 2019; and the dates on which those meetings took place. [26149/21]

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Catherine Connolly

Question:

74. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the report by the Collaborative Forum of Former Residents of Mother and Baby Homes and Related Institutions will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28724/21]

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Thomas Pringle

Question:

89. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on the new proposed concept model of enhanced engagement with survivors of mother and baby institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26439/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 74 and 89 together.

I am committed to ongoing engagement with former residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions and their advocates. I have personally engaged with survivors and advocacy groups since my appointment and will continue to engage with those most centrally involved with these matters. Most recently, I have hosted virtual meetings with interested parties in relation the published Heads and General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. I continue to listen carefully to stakeholders on this issue to ensure this legislation can right an historic wrong by providing access to birth certificates and early life information.

In responding to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation, the Government approved the development of a Strategic Action Plan encompassing a suite of 22 specific measures. These measures, which take account of the Commission's recommendations and those of the Collaborative Forum, are a response to the priority needs and concerns of former residents and their families.

Most importantly, I recognise the importance of implementing these measures in a survivor-centred way, characterised by consistent engagement with former residents and their representative groups, including those who live outside the jurisdiction. Notably, several hundred survivors have contacted my Department since the report was published. Many of these individuals had never been in contact with us before and they want to actively contribute to the process. An increased level of engagement is also evident from the consultation process established to inform development of a Restorative Recognition Scheme, with approximately 450 written submissions received and 159 participants in 17 online meetings.

I am of the view that stakeholder engagement at this level requires additional dedicated structures, processes and resources to ensure it can be inclusive, effective and sustainable. To this end, I am currently consulting with members of the Collaborative Forum, as I believe that learning from existing processes can assist in developing new and enhanced approaches as quickly as possible.

I held two virtual meetings with members of the Collaborative Forum in February during which the structures to support future stakeholder engagement was a specific agenda item. In recognising the limited time available during plenary discussions, my department requested the facilitator to the Forum to further engage with members. I understand this process is nearing completion and look forward to hearing their feedback. The experience of Forum members, and other stakeholders, will assist the development and transition to a new, enhanced model of engagement.

As I have acknowledged previously, plenary meetings of Collaborative Forum have unfortunately been interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Having met in December 2019, it was necessary to put these meetings on hold in 2020 in the context of the public health restrictions as a number of members travel from outside the jurisdiction and some members are also in the at-risk groups identified by public health authorities.

Throughout 2020, members of the Forum were updated on relevant matters by the Secretariat to the group based in my Department. It is the practice and policy of my Department to issue updates and announcements to the Forum and other relevant stakeholders before they are issued to the public more generally. Most recently, there was contact with the Forum in relation to an invitation for representatives to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability and Integration in relation to the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill. The Joint Oireachtas Committee has held a number of meetings dedicated to pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. I was pleased to see the Committee directly engage with members of the Collaborative Forum and I welcome the priority which the Committee has afforded this pre-legislative scrutiny.

In relation to the Collaborative Forum’s report, it was not possible to publish the report when it was submitted to the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs because of concerns that its contents encroached upon the work of the independent statutory Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. For this reason, the Forum's recommendations were initially published and a commitment was given to revisit the question of publication following the completion of the Commission's work. Arrangements are being advanced by my Department to address the procedural requirement for identifiable parties to be afforded due process prior to publication. I expect this process to be completed in the coming weeks. I will then be in a position to engage further with the Collaborative Forum to finalise arrangements for the publication of the report.

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