It is now four and a half years since the Taoiseach made his apology on behalf of the people to the victims of institutional abuse. He said the State would act to redress the matter and provide compensation. The Residential Institutions Redress Bill was introduced approximately three years later, in April 2002, and a further eight months elapsed before the Residential Institutions Redress Board was established, at the end of December 2002.
I dealt with the Bill in the Seanad on behalf of the Labour Party. I asked the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, about the position of various institutions not included in the schedule of institutions which at the time comprised in excess of 100. He said it was incomplete but that the legislation allowed for ministerial order to extend the number, and that this would be done. When I raised the name of one or two institutions, one of which – Bethany House – I have been pursuing since, I was given the impression it would be done quickly. I took the matter up with the Minister and the departmental civil servants dealing with him at the time.
Bethany House is a Protestant institution but Protestant institutions are not covered by the Residential Institutions Redress Board as they are not included in the schedule of institutions. A number of other institutions were also omitted. When I raised this matter with the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Dempsey, this time a year ago, he replied that as the schedule was not exhaustive, institutions could be included as they were identified and that Bethany House was one of a number of homes being considered in that regard. In response to a further question I put to him on 18 February the Minister replied: "It is my intention that a draft order will be prepared and brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas in the near future." That was some time ago so I do not know how the Minister determines what is the near future. I am very concerned that there has been no amendment, that it is four and a half years since the apology was made and the commitment given, that the legislation has been tortuously slow in getting up and running and the board being established and that there are whole categories of people in other institutions who cannot, even at this point, apply to the board because they are not included in the schedule. Unless one happens to have been in an institution included in the schedule, one is forbidden from applying for compensation to the Residential Institutions Redress Board.
Many of the people involved are quite elderly. Obviously between now and when the apology was made four and a half years ago, countless numbers of people who might have gone to the board for some form of redress have died and others will die before they get any compensation from the State. It is not good enough that we should put off the extension of the number of institutions included in the present schedule. I ask the Minister to accept what his predecessor said, that is, that the schedule was incomplete and there are other institutions which need to be added to the list. Many people are under stress waiting for that to take place and have not been able to get any comfort from the Department of Education and Science. It would be a small matter for the Department to introduce a ministerial order but it would be a very big step for many people who have suffered.
I urge the Minister to fulfil his commitment and issue that order as quickly as possible.