Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Members for their contributions. In January this year, the Taoiseach, on behalf of the Government, the State and its citizens, apologised for the profound generational wrong visited upon Irish mothers and their children who ended up in mother and baby homes or county homes. He stated categorically that the State did not uphold its duty of care and thereby failed these women and children. He acknowledged that an apology alone was not enough but only a first step.

The Government had undertaken to respond to the needs of survivors in consultation with them. As stated by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, in his opening remarks, while the Government strives to deliver an inclusive response, there are no easy answers when it comes to providing a remedy to the significant grief and anguish caused to the women and children who spent time in these institutions. In many respects, it is not possible to replace what has been lost to survivors. No financial reward or service provision can take back the hurt, loss and distress that were suffered through decades of failure. Nevertheless, the Government is earnest in its wish to provide an enduring response to the priority needs of all concerned.

The action plan for survivors and former residents of mother and baby and county home institutions begins with an apology. It is broad-reaching, encompassing actions under a wide variety of themes, which include a survivor-centred approach, the apology, access to personal information, archives and databases, education and research, memorialisation, restorative recognition, including health supports and financial payments, and dignified burial. Although only recently published, work on the action plan has been under way since January to ensure the 22 action plan points set out across the eight themes are developed and implemented. The mother and baby institution payment scheme, while hugely important and, indeed, the most significant scheme of its type in the history of the State, is just one element of the plan. The Government's intention is to deliver a payment scheme that is non-adversarial, simple and respectful. Work on the scheme is already under way.

It is important, in addition, to highlight the other hugely significant elements of the plan. These actions are not only important to the Government in demonstrating sincerity in addressing the wrongs of the past but, more crucially, they are vitally important to the survivors.

First, counselling to support all former residents has been in place since before the publication of the commission's report. The service has been strengthened with additional investment and an expanded out-of-hours support. The Government has published the general scheme of a birth information and tracing Bill. This is currently the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny. It will provide guaranteed access to birth certificates and wider birth and early life information for those who have questions about their origins. It will also provide a robust statutory tracing service to support family contact and reunion. The Government is committed to advancing institutional burials legislation to provide for dignified and respectful treatment of remains at Tuam, and elsewhere if necessary.

On the same day that the Government approved proposals for the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, it further progressed two other important actions, both of which are intended to demonstrate the its commitment to acknowledge the failings of the past and to learn from those failings. The first of these actions is the creation of a children's fund to honour the memory of the children who died in mother and baby homes by providing supports to children who experience disadvantage in the present day. The second action is the creation of a national memorial and records centre. This action is hugely important to survivors. A scoping group chaired by the Secretary General to the Government will develop an overarching vision and proposed approach to the creation of a national centre. It will then be brought to the Government for approval. Both of these actions are tangible demonstrations of the Government's determination not to forget the past and not to repeat the past. They stand as part of the gesture of acknowledgement, apology and healing to those who were failed as mothers and as children.

I acknowledge the amendment to the motion tabled this evening. I value all contributions from Deputies on this most important of issues. However, the motion calls for action that would be grossly unconstitutional. The Chamber cannot and should not seek to pre-empt or anticipate matters that are under the examination of the courts. The Government simply cannot support the amendment. I thank all Members for their time this evening in debating this important matter. I echo the Minister's opening words of appreciation to survivors and their families as the Government continues to work through these complex issues.

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