Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)

While many of the inmates of residential institutions have been through the Residential Institutions Redress Board - representatives of One in Four informed me earlier today that the majority of those who wished to apply to the board have done so - a small number of survivors may decide later that they wish to seek redress from the board. For this reason, I concur with Deputy Pringle that the deadline for applications should be dropped or extended. It would be unfair to close off this option to those who may decide in two or three years that they wish to come forward with their story. The Government should provide for open-ended applications to the Residential Institutions Redress Board. It is also inappropriate that such short notice - only six weeks prior to the cut-off date - will be given before the redress board stops taking further applications. Notice of a cut-off point should be withdrawn in line with a commitment to leave open the facility to make applications for redress for abuse suffered in residential institutions.

Many survivors of abuse who went before the Residential Institutions Redress Board have expressed dissatisfaction at the manner in which they were treated by the board. The adversarial approach of the religious congregations has caused distress. This approach is reflected in the payment of €200 million in legal fees from a total of €1.3 billion paid out by the redress board. The requirement that survivors discuss the details of their lives and families, the lack of consistency in the sums awards to survivors and the imposition of confidentiality agreements have also caused distress to survivors. The manner in which the Residential Institutions Redress Board has functioned places a question mark over the suitability of this type of body to address the sufferings of the inmates of the Magdalene laundries and Bethany home. The Minister must examine the issue of establishing a board to facilitate redress for these groups of victims.

The House will next week debate the Cloyne report, which will provide ample opportunities for Deputies to discuss these issues again. The Cloyne report has moved the issue of the separation of church and State further up the agenda. The Dáil must address this issue in the period ahead. The prayer at the commencement of the day's business is an affront to many people and should be replaced by a minute's silence.

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