Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
1080. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether the redress scheme proposed for the mother and baby homes survivors and victims is adequate and robust given that it is based on an admitted flawed report as its reference point in view of the recent High Court settlement; if he will now consider a full review of the redress scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63460/21]
View answerThe Government-approved proposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme were developed taking a range of important matters into consideration including the feedback from a public consultation process. When tasking an Interdepartmental Group with developing proposals for a Scheme, the Government agreed that these proposals should take account of the recommendations in the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation, but not be limited to these recommendations. The proposals, therefore, go well beyond these recommendations and, in particular, the Scheme will include:
- Women who spent time in the institutions before and after 1974
- All children who spent more than six months in one of the institutions, regardless of whether they were ‘accompanied’ or ‘unaccompanied’
- All women regardless of the time spent in an institution.
Extensive engagement with survivors made it clear that it was a priority that the Scheme be non-adversarial, simple and require a low burden of proof. This is what the approved proposals for the Scheme seek to deliver. Beyond the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, the needs of all those who spent time in one of the institutions will be addressed in some way through the Government’s comprehensive Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions
Work is underway on the draft legislation required to establish the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and through the legislative process there will be an opportunity to examine any issues or concerns that have been raised in relation to the Scheme.
