Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1441. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will revise the terms of the mother and baby homes redress scheme for adoptees to include those who were legally adopted before the age of six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1931/24]
View answerThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will provide financial payments to an estimated 34,000 people, some 19,000 of whom will also benefit from an enhanced medical card or health support payment. These benefits are in recognition of experiences while resident in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The overall cost of the Payment Scheme is estimated at €800 million.
The Government proposals for the Payment Scheme were developed following deliberations on the very complex issues in question. They were informed by a consultation process undertaken with survivors, as well as a report and proposals from an Interdepartmental Group (IDG). Government ultimately decided on proposals which were, in overall terms, significantly broader than those proposed by the IDG and the recommendations from the Commission of Investigation.
Redress comes in many forms and in relation to children who spent less than six months in an institution and who were adopted or otherwise separated from their birth family, the overwhelming priority need which has been expressed, through extensive engagement with those concerned, is access to records.
So, for those children who spent short periods of time in an institution during their infancy, the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Homes Institutions provides a response to their needs through the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 and the investment which has been made available to support implementation of this legislation.
Since the information and tracing services under the Act came into being in October 2022, over 9,345 applications for birth and early life information have been completed, with more people receiving their information every day.
The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is just one aspect of the overall package of supports and measures set out in the Government’s Action Plan. This Plan seeks to provide an inclusive, comprehensive and enduring response to the priority needs of all survivors. Importantly, this package includes counselling services which are available to all survivors and former residents.
