Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have received several questions and queries about when the mother and baby scheme will be open for applications. As the Minister knows, the long-awaited redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes was signed into law in July. I can honestly say, like the Minister, that the survivors who have contacted me not getting any younger. They deserve and need the scheme up and running as soon as possible. I am aware that since July, the Department has been working on the structures to deliver the scheme. While many of us understand that it may take a number of months, the Minister needs to get the scheme up and running and it needs to be operational. We are going into 2024 and there are 34,000 survivors. It needs to be up and running. I ask the Minister now whether he can get us a timescale as soon as possible.

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