Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1374. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will list the services and supports available to survivors of State religious institutional abuse in Cork. [40814/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the information that I can provide in answer to his question relates to national initiatives aimed at supporting survivors of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions.
On the 16th November 2021, the Government published An Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, to address the priority needs and concerns of survivors of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions and their families. The Action Plan focuses on initiatives such as access to personal information; enhanced tracing services; a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme; dignified burial; dedicated counselling and health supports; research and education, and memorialisation and personal narratives. Each action within the Action Plan identifies key strategic milestones and related timelines. Of the 22 actions in the Action Plan, 8 have already been completed, while another 13 are currently in progress. Work is ongoing in all thematic areas to advance these measures.
Since publication of the Action Plan, my immediate focus has been to prioritise legislative developments such as: the enactment of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 which establishes a new Contact Preference Register and paves the way for Information and Tracing Services to open in October 2022; the enactment of the Institutional Burials Act 2022, and the publication of the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill .
Crucially, free counselling support has been available to all survivors since before the publication of the Commission’s Final Report. That service has been strengthened with additional investment and an expanded out of hours service. The National Counselling Service is a specialist service with 20 years of experience in providing counselling and psychotherapy to a wide range of clients, including those who have experienced psychological difficulties due to time spent in institutions. Information on how to access this service has been widely circulated, published on my Department's website, and has been sent directly to any person who has provided their contact details to our dedicated mailing list for those with an interest in these issues.
I have liaised with my colleague, the Minister for Health, who is responsible for these services, to ensure that available capacity is used to the best effect in delivering strong, responsive and timely services for survivors.
In addition, the Department of Health, in partnership with the HSE, is working to establish a Patient Advocacy Liaison Service. When up and running, that service will have a dedicated team who can provide bespoke information and support to survivors to assist them in accessing health services which they may need. The Department of Health is also working with the Health Research Board on a research project to identify the future health needs of survivors. This research will help to further inform future health policy and service responses.
My Department and other state authorities are working to ensure survivors see tangible results as early as possible.
