Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister did not answer the question of how the Department arrived at the rate of potentially €5,000 for forced family separation. The proposed scheme is deeply flawed in many ways. The startling inadequacy of the proposed payment amount stands out. It is still unclear how these rates were decided. The figures suddenly appear in the interdepartmental groups report which was chaired by an official from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. A group of civil servants sat down and devised these rates. Survivors and the public deserve to know how that happened. What, if any, consideration was given to the scale of abuses, the trauma and the years of stigma and hostility from the State? Did anyone on the interdepartmental group have any qualifications in psychological trauma or transitional justice? All those questions remain unanswered. I ask the Minister to tell the House if he is happy that a woman, who endured the cruelty of the mother and baby institution system, was separated from her child and many other things, will receive as little €5,000.

See this speech in context