I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman. He sends his apologies but he had to attend a meeting.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important health benefit for discussion. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill will provide financial payments and an enhanced medical card to eligible people in recognition of the suffering they experienced in a mother and baby or county home institution. The enhanced medical card will provide those eligible with a statutory entitlement to a range of health services. It will ensure the provision, without charge, of the following primary and community health services: GP services; prescribed drugs, medicines, aids and appliances; dental, ophthalmic and aural services; home nursing; home support; counselling; chiropody and podiatry; and physiotherapy.
As well as the above services, cardholders will not be required to pay the €100 emergency department statutory charge or the €80 public hospital statutory charge. It is estimated that through the scheme around 19,000 people will qualify for an enhanced medical card. Many people who spent time in these institutions now live outside Ireland. The scheme has been designed so that all those eligible to receive an enhanced medical card will have the option to receive one, even if they are not resident in Ireland. This means that while they are visiting Ireland or if they ever move back here, they can avail of health services using the card, which will be provided by the HSE. Alternatively, they can choose to receive a once-off payment of €3,000 in lieu of a card. This payment is in recognition of, and a contribution towards, their individual health needs. While acknowledging the challenge that healthcare costs can vary significantly across different individuals and different jurisdictions, a payment of €3,000 would represent a practical measure of acknowledgment for those who are living overseas and choose not to avail of the enhanced medical card.
Eligibility is based primarily on a minimum of six months spent in a former mother and baby or county home institution. This was approved by the Government on foot of the publication of the final report of the commission of investigation. This qualifying timeframe means the benefit will largely accrue to those who were residents prior to 1974, who likely experienced harsher conditions and who are more likely to be at the older end of the broad spectrum of survivors. This ties in with ensuring that access to health services is determined on the basis of need. It is important to note that outside the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, the overall Government response to the commission of investigation also includes the provision of counselling support, free of charge, to all survivors and former residents. This is provided through the national counselling service in the HSE.
I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the mother and baby institutions payment scheme. Ensuring it is open for applications as soon as possible is a key priority for the Department and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. It should be noted that this scheme will be the largest of its type in the history of the State in terms of the number of potential applicants. Therefore, the work required to deliver the scheme for applicants is significant. The legislation for the scheme is currently on Report Stage in the Dáil. In parallel with the legislative process, intensive work is under way on the development of the structures needed to administer the payment scheme, including an independent executive office situated in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
