Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.

In the past ten years, apologies have been issued in the Dáil, by the Taoiseach on behalf of the State.

In February 2013, the then Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, issued an apology on behalf of the Government in Dáil Éireann to women who were resident in Magdalen laundries for hurt done to them and any stigma suffered by reason of their residence in those institutions. The Magdalen ex gratiascheme, as recommended by Mr. Justice John Quirke, was established following the publication of the McAleese report in February 2013. The Government has honoured its commitments to the Magdalen women by ensuring that Mr. Justice Quirke’s report and the recommendations of the Ombudsman's report of November 2017 are fully implemented.

On 22 October 2019, I issued an apology in the Dáil on behalf of the State to the women and their loved ones affected by failings in the CervicalCheck screening programme. The apology came on foot of Dr. Gabriel Scally’s scoping inquiry into CervicalCheck.

Since then, the Government has committed to learning lessons and positive progress has been made in this regard. All 170 actions in the implementation plan arising from the scoping inquiry are now completed. The Government is aware that the issues in CervicalCheck in 2018 led to a loss of trust in our screening services and we are working to rebuild trust by working with patients and their advocates to improve and develop services in all our screening programmes.

On 13 January 2022, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, the then Taoiseach, issued a formal apology for the hurt experienced by many former residents of mother and baby institutions and county homes. He apologised for the profound generational wrong visited on Irish mothers and their children who ended up in a mother and baby home or a county home and for the shame and stigma which they were subjected to. As part of that apology, it was acknowledged that the State had failed in its duty of care to the mothers and children who spent time in these institutions.

Since January 2021, work has been advanced by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby Homes and County Home Institutions. The action plan commits to 22 actions across eight main themes.

In addition, in June 2018, on the 25th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, I moved an all-party motion in the Dáil. As part of this motion, a sincere apology was offered to those individuals affected by the criminalisation of homosexual acts in Ireland and the hurt and the harm caused by the legislation was acknowledged. The Government continues to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland including through hate crime legislation, the forthcoming ban on conversion practices and improvements to sexual health services.

See this speech in context