Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The scheme that was legislated for in this regard provides redress in the form of financial payments and enhanced medical cards for former residents of mother and baby homes and county home institutions. That was the definition and basis upon which eligibility for this scheme was decided. It was a response to the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes and county home institutions. We all know that there were many institutions in Ireland, over decades, some of them run by religious organisations and some run by the State or privately, where heinous things happened. Deputy Kerrane has listed a number of them that were not defined as mother and baby homes but where mothers who had a baby somewhere else were brought and where their babies were subsequently adopted, often perhaps with very little consent from the mother.

This scheme is based on the definition of mother and baby and county home institutions. The scheme was designed to operate and be implemented on that basis. However, there is an opportunity to review it and the Minister of the day can make determinations then.

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