Holly Cairns
Ceist:101. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the role played by the Oak report in the development of the mother and baby homes redress scheme. [6117/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 9 February 2023
Ceisteanna (101)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government tasked an Interdepartmental Working Group (IDG) with developing proposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. To inform and support this Group, a substantive consultation process was undertaken with survivors, through a process managed by OAK. In addition the IDG were required to consider the recommendations of the Commission, an advisory paper by IHREC, which I requested, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform draft guidelines on redress.
The IDG developed proposals in respect of this challenging and complex issue and provided them to me in a report which was published in November 2021. The Government considered these proposals, took many of them on board and went beyond them in respect of the number of people eligible under the Scheme. The Government proposals adhered very closely to many of the main findings of the OAK report. Fundamentally, the Scheme will be simple and non-adversarial, and will provide financial payments to applicants without any requirement to bring forward evidence of abuse or harm. These payments will be in recognition of the time spent in the institution, harsh conditions, emotional abuse and all other forms of mistreatment, stigma and trauma experienced while resident in a Mother and Baby or County Home. To note some more specific examples:
- Recommendation: the Scheme should treat survivors with kindness and seek to avoid re-traumatisation. The Payment Scheme is non-adversarial in nature, there is no burden of proof on applicants to demonstrate any trauma endured.
- Recommendation: the Scheme should be well-advertised . A comprehensive advertising campaign both at home and abroad is planned, with funds provided for this in my Department's allocation for 2023. The communications campaign will comprise a helpline, radio and print advertising, the latter in many jurisdictions, as well as advertising and publicity across many social media channels and many forms of information distribution.
- Recommendation: Families of deceased to have access to Scheme . The estates of those who died on or after the date of the Taoiseach’s apology will benefit from the Scheme.
- Recommendation: Priority for ill and elderly . The Scheme’s administrative parameters will prioritise the elderly and those who have life-threatening illness.
- Recommendation: Independent appeals process important . The Scheme will have an internal review process and independent appeals process built into the legislation.
- Recommendation: The Scheme should have a statutory basis and be independent . The Scheme is being established under primary legislation. A Chief Deciding Officer will administer the Scheme and will be independent from the Minister in the performance of his or her functions. This is also is being provided for in the legislation.
The OAK report was wide-ranging and informative, and also contained the views of survivors on matters which were not directly related to the Payment Scheme but are being addressed by the other 21 measures in the Government Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Together with the estimated €800 million package for 34,000 beneficiaries under this Payment Scheme, this wider package of supports and measures demonstrates the Government’s commitment to acknowledging and making amends for the sad legacy of these institutions.
Question No. 102 answered orally.