Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
506. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education the ongoing supports available for survivors of abuse in industrial schools, reformatories and related institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12775/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, on 27 June 2023 Government approved proposals for the provision of a package of ongoing supports to survivors. This package of supports is comprised of a number of elements, including health, education, and advocacy supports.
The delivery of both the health and education supports will require the passage of legislation, the General Scheme of which was published and referred to the relevant Committee for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) in September 2023. The Committee’s PLS Report was received by my Department in December 2023.
My Department is working closely with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to finalise the drafting of the Bill and it is intended to progress the preparation of the legislation as quickly as possible to enable its passage in the first half of 2024.
With regard to advocacy supports, my Department has engaged Sage Advocacy, an independent advocacy organisation with a strong track record in providing advocacy supports to vulnerable adults, older people and healthcare patients, to develop information, support and advocacy services for survivors to assist them in engaging with and accessing relevant services and supports. Sage Advocacy has already begun to roll out this service and will be engaging with relevant groups and organisations to promote awareness of its availability.
In addition, my Department has since 2002 fully funded the Origins Information and Tracing Service which is for individuals who spent all or part of their childhood in an industrial school and who are interested in tracing information about their parents, siblings or other relatives.
This service, which is operated by Barnardos, is available free of charge to survivors in Ireland and abroad.
