Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 5, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following:"Provision of qualified personal advocates to relevant participants

5.The Minister shall lay a report before each House of the Oireachtas, within 1 month following the enactment of this legislation, setting out the options for the provision of qualified personal advocates to relevant participants.".

The principle behind the amendment is the need for ongoing monitoring and checking to ensure the Bill is getting it right for the women affected by time spent in the laundries. Amendment No. 15 seeks to provide that one month after the enactment of the legislation there will be options for the provision of qualified personal advocates to relevant participants.

As I mentioned, we know particular ladies who went into the Magdalen laundries with mental health issues or, because of being there, developed mental health issues during their time there. I have met some of the ladies who were in the laundry on Sean MacDermott Street and there were mental health issues that were due to the institutionalisation as well as pre-existing issues. While there is much better living accommodation now, they need to be adequately and properly represented by qualified people. We have advocacy services for people with mental health issues and this is the purpose behind the amendment, that it would happen within a month.

See this speech in context