Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am supporting a lady in my constituency who is currently in unsuitable housing. She is housed by Cork City Council. She has applied for a transfer and the council has agreed to this. It has offered to her to go on the transfer list and is assessing her situation. She is a survivor of the mother and baby homes. She is someone who the Minister probably knows personally. She has assisted the Department and the Minister in revealing the truth of what happened in these institutions. The Minister previously said that support will be available for survivors of these institutions to access State services. This must include social housing.

I wrote to the Minister about this lady on 15 September 2023. I received a response indicating that nothing can be done by the Minister or her Department about housing for this lady. I believe it is shameful and disgraceful that a lady has gone through such trauma, including the trauma of telling her story and revealing what went on in these institutions and now, when she needs help and support, she is being failed again by the State. Will the Minister contact Cork City Council, if I resend the lady's details, and ask it to step in immediately? This has been going on for the almost two years that I have been involved and maybe longer before the lady came to me. She has been clear from day one that she has specific needs due to the trauma that she suffered at the hands of the State. That means it is not possible for her to live where she is living at the moment. For far too long, victims and survivors have been failed by the State.

If this lady had a home that she could feel safe and secure in, it would make such a difference to her. She and other victims have suffered so much. Surely a home at this stage is the least the State can do. At least it would help to ease some of the trauma but instead, having to live in this unsuitable accommodation is retraumatising this lady all over again. It adds insult to injury. This lady has suffered emotional suffering and an emotional toll in her life and continues to suffer because she does not have a home.

This Bill delivers some good points but has failed to deliver what the victims and survivors deserve. I am asking the Minister for this lady and for all other survivors who need suitable accommodation to instruct local authorities and approved housing bodies to step in and support them once and for all.

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