Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a deep understanding of how upset and disappointed the survivors, especially of the Bethany Home institution, feel. I understand what the Deputy has described. I am aware of it and fully aware of what the commission of investigation stated in its second interim report and brought those arguments to the Government. That is why we took a long time to deliberate on the report, with a detailed analysis by officials of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and other Departments of the rationale for some of the commission's statements. The consensus from a series of discussions which involved the Attorney General, the Ministers for Children and Youth Affairs, Public Expenditure and Reform and Education and Skills was that there would be insurmountable difficulties in reopening the redress scheme or scoping an alternative scheme, whether statutory or non-statutory. One of the primary reasons for this is that to date the commission has made no finding about abuse or neglect in the homes. That makes it extremely difficult for the Government to decide to offer redress. As a bridge to the final report, having understood and empathised with the concerns, particularly those expressed by the Bethany Home institution, I encouraged and achieved consensus with other Ministers that the Government could begin discussions with the former residents to examine meaningful targeted supports, particularly health and well-being supports, that could be provided for them prior to receiving the final reports of the commission and the Government's decisions which would follow them.

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