Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2022
129. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will make the changes sought by survivors to the Mother and Baby Homes Redress Scheme to include all survivors within the scheme with no minimum time provisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5412/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government-approved proposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme were developed taking a range of important matters into consideration, including the feedback from a public consultation process. As a result, the proposals go well beyond the recommendations of the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation. In particular, the Scheme will include:
- Women who spent time in the institutions before and after 1974
- All children who spent more than six months in one of the institutions, regardless of whether they were ‘accompanied’ or ‘unaccompanied’
- All women regardless of the time spent in an institution
Extensive engagement with survivors made it clear that it was a priority that the Scheme be non-adversarial, simple and require a low burden of proof. This is what the approved proposals for the Scheme seek to deliver.
Beyond the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, the needs of all those who spent time in one of the institutions will be addressed in some way through the Government’s comprehensive Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions which can be accessed on my Department's website.
I have been given Government approval to bring forward legislative proposals on the basis of the Scheme as outlined and work has commenced in my Department on draft Heads of Bill. Through the legislative process, there will be further opportunities to examine any issues or concerns that have been raised in relation to the Scheme.
