Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for her comments and I can confirm that for her. I should remind the House that this was a matter that was neglected for over 60 years. This Government listened very carefully to those women who were in the Magdalen laundries. We asked Mr. Martin McAleese to prepare a report on this and subsequently appointed Mr. Justice Quirke to draw up an appropriate scheme for the Magdalen women. The Government is fully committed to implementing in full the Quirke report. Under the scheme, women are entitled to a payment of €11,500 to €100,000, depending on their length of stay. In addition, they receive top-up payments of €100 weekly if they are under pension age and up to €230.30 when aged 66 or over, depending on other State payments. To date, a decision has been made in 87% of cases and 495 applicants have received payments totalling €18 million.

Mr. Justice Quirke also recommended that the women should have access to an enhanced medical card, as Deputy O' Sullivan pointed out. He also specifically recommended that legislation be introduced to give effect to that recommendation. The new Bill to be introduced will provide an enhanced medical card. The legislation is modelled on the Health Amendment Act of 1996. The Bill was published in December and is expected to be introduced in the Dáil later this month.

I note the statements to which Deputy O'Sullivan referred, attributed to the Justice for Magdalenes group, suggesting that the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill 2014 only provides regular medical cards to the women as opposed to the HAA card recommended by Mr. Justice Quirke. To be clear, Mr. Justice Quirke in his report recommended that the women receive medical services equivalent to those provided to the holders of HAA cards. He also pointed out that not all of the services described in the guide may be directly relevant to the Magdalen women and any comparable guide for the Magdalen women would require suitable adaptation. The new Bill is similar to the 1996 Act and specifically provides for GP and surgical services; payment for drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances; nursing services; home help; dental, ophthalmic and aural services; counselling services; and chiropody and physiotherapy services. There will also be no requirement to pay the statutory charge for public acute hospital in-patient services.

The 2014 scheme is focused on the medical needs of the women under the scheme. Many of the services are accessible through referral by a doctor or nurse. The only substantive services that are not included under the new scheme are non-conventional therapies. The HSE funding of expenditure by Positive Action on complimentary therapies such as angel healing, emotional freedom techniques and dancing the spiral led to severe criticism and Positive Action itself was wound up in May 2014. The Minister does not wish to see the important medical supports that will be provided by the enhanced medical card undermined in any way by the inclusion of controversial, unconventional therapies. I hope that answers Deputy O'Sullivan's question.

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