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Under the Minister’s redress scheme, 40 percent of survivors will not be eligible for compensation, while two-thirds will be denied healthcare 

The Government has one last chance to do the right thing when its deeply flawed Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill reaches its concluding stages in the Dáil this week, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns.

“This is the final opportunity for the Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman to address the litany of grave wrongs perpetrated on innocent women and children. It is unconscionable that this redress scheme will exclude 24,000 people who suffered systemic abuse at the hands of the State and religious orders.

“Shockingly, 40 percent of survivors will not be eligible for compensation, while two-thirds will be denied healthcare.

“In an act of blatant discrimination, the scheme is not open to anyone separated from their mother before the age of six months. Equally disgraceful is the fact that survivors who suffered abuse while boarded-out will not be entitled to redress.

“Last year, the Social Democrats introduced a Bill to highlight the serious shortcomings in the Minister’s scheme. As well as expanding eligibility to include all survivors, we called for payment rates to be revised to reflect the shameful catalogue of human rights abuses that occurred.

“We also demanded the removal of the obligation for survivors to sign a waiver, which would preclude them from seeking justice in the courts.

“The Government cynically allowed our Bill to pass, while proceeding as planned with their insulting redress scheme.

“If this Bill passes this week, it will be an indelible stain on this Government’s term in office. It is not too late to do the right thing.”

January 31, 2023

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