Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We too support the legislation. With the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's permission, I will read into the record the entirety of correspondence I received last night from the Justice for Magdalenes Research, JFMR, group. The group stated:

We in Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) are writing to express our concerns about the serious shortcomings in the health and social care provided to Magdalene survivors to date and to suggest that the Dáil use this legislative opportunity to fundamentally amend the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions (RWRCI) Act 2015 (in more ways than the Government proposes) so that the health and social care recommended by Judge John Quirke in 2013 is actually provided to all survivors under the Magdalene ex gratiascheme.

The Government's Bill simply seeks to add women who worked as children in Magdalene Laundries while registered on the rolls of adjacent institutions to the existing health and social care aspects of the Magdalene ex gratiascheme. However, we in JFMR have repeatedly pointed out - and we have been joined by healthcare professionals in so doing - that the care services currently provided under the RWRCI Act 2015 are not compliant with Judge John Quirke's recommendations.

We have raised the problem of healthcare provision to Magdalene numerous times since the RWRCI Act 2015 was enacted, including in writing to Ministers for Justice and Department of Justice officials [and the letter goes on to quote various dates in that regard].

On 25th February 2016 JFMR wrote to the National Director of Primary Care at the HSE to ask for written clarification of all ways in which Magdalene survivors' entitlements under the RWRCI Act card differ from those already available under the standard medical card. We received an acknowledgment letter on 15th March 2016 but have no received no substantive response to date.

I echo the points made by Deputy Ó Laoghaire in respect of dental, ophthalmic and aural services, psychotherapy for survivors, access to counselling and psychotherapy for family members, and access to complementary therapies. There are issues in respect of whether services as per the recommendations are to be provided. It is the understanding of JFMR that they are not being provided.

Given that we have just recently read the amendments, I seek clarification from the Minister and his officials on the wording for the provision of dental, ophthalmic and aural services, which will be an addition to section 2, and on referrals made by registered medical practitioners. I also seek clarification in respect of subsection (d) in amendment No. 1, which has just been brought before the House, in respect of the paragraphs relating to complementary therapies and such other services as may be prescribed. I ask that the Minister have regard to the correspondence that we - and, I presume, he and his officials - received last night. Will the concerns outlined in the correspondence be addressed in the context of the amendments the Minister has proposed?

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