Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My question arises from direct contact with people who have suffered at the hands of the State and religious organisations and who, unfortunately, are being traumatised again by the State, particularly through their contact with Caranua. Significantly, I pose this question on the same day that we await the Taoiseach's decision on the mother and baby home in Tuam. I sincerely hope he will decide on a full excavation and exhumation of the site with a view to maximum information being made available. This is also the day we have learned, quite incredibly, that the Government has changed the application process for compensation for women who worked in Magdalen laundries. It now requires them to specify the number of weekly hours worked, completely disregarding the spirit and content of the Quirke report.

Similarly, there is the case of Caranua and the rationale and content of its purpose. It was established to provide support to people who experienced abuse in institutions as children. In 2013, the chairwoman said there should be smooth and uncomplicated access to the fund. The chief executive officer, CEO, said it was about putting survivors at the heart of the process. It was always a defined group with a defined amount of money. It was meant to be rolled out transparently and with minimum bureaucracy. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. It is a classic example of the institution becoming more important than the people it was set up to serve.

Survivors have confirmed that its mode of delivery has added to their abuse.

Rather than rolling out a fair and transparent system based on a comprehensive plan the applicants have, at best, been subjected to an ad hoc, haphazard and unprofessional system which has succeeded in traumatising them again. People have come to Deputies at the end of their tether. Among the issues raised are the constant changing of personnel, no timely response on the phones, no timely response to letters and no giving of information relating to rights, especially the right of appeal. In essence, there has been a recreation for the applicants of the abuse suffered in institutions. Caranua is certainly misnamed. Rather than being a new friend, it is the old friend, the seanchara, with an arbitrary use of power, which is perfectly encapsulated in the way in which the arbitrary limit of €15,000 was brought in. This was retrospective and left applicants in limbo with no knowledge as to their rights. We now have an appeals system and I pay tribute to the appeals officers who have highlighted the concerns. One appeals officer is working with a significant backlog. Having recognised the need for it, will the Taoiseach confirm that he will immediately put in an additional appeals officer? Will he examine what is happening on the ground and take a hands-on approach to stop injustice being repeated when it is unnecessary?

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