Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss this legislation, which has been long awaited by many people. It follows years of activism by survivors of mother and baby home institutions to get the recognition and redress they so badly deserve. The critical need for this legislation has been recognised by all political parties, all stakeholders and all groups. I welcome the work the Minister and his Department have done on this legislation and on making it such a key priority for this Government.

We have heard the testimonies and the horror stories. That is evidence of Ireland's long and dark history of illegal and forced adoptions, and we must shine a light on that dark corner of Irish history. Babies were taken from their mother's arms, children grew up with no knowledge of their origins or family history, and young women were cruelly institutionalised. For so many of those women, it is not history; it is their present. Still today, they are enduring the trauma they suffered at the hands of the church and the State at such an early stage in life. For many people, that suffering has had a profound impact on their health, their well-being, their ability to work and their ability to lead an ordinary life.

I do not know what financial price can be put on that level of trauma. How do we repay a woman who had her child taken from her and illegally adopted, perhaps never to be seen again? How do we repay a child born into such harrowing circumstances, who grew up without all of the information they should have had about who they are? I do not know how we quantify that. In reality, we know that no amount of financial redress will ever remedy the unspeakable damage and abuse that so many women and children suffered. Even the largest sum of money would pale into insignificance.

However, I know this legislation aims to help through the financial redress and access to medical cards and the support that these women and their children born into institutions will get. We know that many women who were institutionalised in mother and baby homes are growing older. They have lived long lives and some have poor health. We simply cannot make them wait any longer for financial redress. That is why it is critical we ensure redress is given as soon as possible. These women and their children, who are mostly adults now, need our support.

This legislation will mean that all mothers who spent time in a mother and baby institution will receive financial redress, with the amount of redress increasing based on their length of stay. All children who spent six months or more in an institution will receive financial redress based on their length of stay. An additional work-related payment for women resident in certain institutions for more than three months who undertook what might be termed commercial work will come into play. An enhanced medical card will be available to everybody who was resident in a mother and baby home or county home institution for six months or more.

I take issue with the exclusion of those boarded out and children born in mother and baby homes who spent less than six months in these institutions. I know that in every scheme and every policy we have to set parameters, but I find that six-month parameter hard to justify.

I was recently contacted by someone born in a mother and baby home who spent less than six months there. This person’s life has been greatly impacted by that cruel entry into the world, and they are so hurt that they will not be included in this scheme. They feel excluded again. All I can do for that person is agree with them and take this opportunity to urge the Minister to please keep this aspect of the legislation under review.

I commend the Minister and the State on taking responsibility for the provision of redress. However, I also want to put on the record that it is so disappointing and so frustrating that religious institutions will not be contributing towards redress. Religious organisations that have apologised and accepted their responsibility for the unforgivable trauma and abuse inflicted on mothers and babies will not be contributing to the redress. That is angering for many people.

I know the Minister’s intentions in this Bill are only good. The Minister and his Department have not been set an easy task, but it is one they must fulfil. I thank him for his leadership and dedication to ensuring that happens.

I would like to end with a line from correspondence sent to me just this week by a survivor, who wrote, “Protecting, valuing and recognising trauma of survivors and victims now, properly and compassionately would heal some pain.” Perhaps nothing was done to stop it happening then, but something can be done to ease the damage now.

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