Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Committee Stage of the mother and baby redress scheme legislation continues in the Seanad this afternoon and will move to Final Stage in the coming weeks. There is no commitment from the religious orders as to their contribution to that redress scheme. Unfortunately, the Government has still not resolved shortfalls in the legislation regarding children who were boarded out and children who were in these institutions for less than six months.

This is despite acknowledgment in the report of the interdepartmental group that the commission of investigation found that children who were boarded out in some cases experienced the very worst of abuse. As the Taoiseach knows, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also advised the group that the six-month timeframe has no rationale and no reasonable link to the harm suffered by survivors in the Irish context. The appointment of former trade union leader Sheila Noonan as the Government's negotiator is welcome, although I have to echo the observation of activist Claire McGettrick regarding the differing lens through which the Government views the religious orders and victims. She wrote:

Good the Minister is pushing the religious orders to contribute to redress. But it's instructive to note the difference in approach re religious orders vs affected people: Negotiations for the orders.

'We know what's best' for affected people.

There is still time for the Government to resolve the two key outstanding issues with this scheme. I hope the Taoiseach will intervene, even at this very late stage.

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