Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

With regard to amendment No. 9, we know that many of those entitled to redress no longer reside in the State. It is, therefore, essential that any public information campaign has an international element. The OAK report makes special reference in several places to survivors living abroad, in some cases due to their experience in mother and baby homes or being boarded out. It should also be noted that the general scheme referred to public advertisement in Ireland and abroad but the requirement for an international element of the campaign was removed in the Bill. It seems like a change in position and the amendment guarantees there will be in an international information campaign.

Amendment No. 20 provides clarity on the chief deciding officer's obligations around the storing of personal information. Survivors will be required to share highly personal and emotionally-laden information in many cases. There is an abundant moral requirement for them to have clarity on how this information will be used, stored or potentially destroyed, etc.

With regard to amendment No. 26, the addition of other institutions to Schedule 1 could have a significant impact on many survivors. It is important the Bill enables institutions to be added as easily as possible to facilitate survivors accessing redress. This comes under the principle of timely access to compensation and removal of time-based barriers as outlined by the UN Human Rights Committee and survivors. Under the Bill currently, the Minister would need the consent of the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform to add any institutions. Besides the implicit chilling effect that will have on any proposals, it also a complex process prone to interdepartmental delays and discussion. Instead, amendment No. 26 proposes that the chief deciding officer and Minister are best placed to add institutions to Schedule 1. This is a simple and more efficient process that keeps decisions as close to those impacted as possible.