Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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6. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality under the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill 2014, if liaison officers will be appointed to assist Magdalen women in obtaining their enhanced benefits under the Bill; her views that these changes should be welcomed and are vital at the next stage of the Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6975/15]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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My question relates to the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill and the need for liaison officers and support for the survivors of the Magdalen laundries to ensure they obtain their enhanced benefits as proposed under the Bill recently passed in this House.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for her question and her interest in this area and the support last night for the passage of the Bill which provides for medical services for women who were in the Magdalen homes. I am very pleased to say the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill was passed in the Dáil without a division and I thank all Deputies on the opposite side of the House for this. The Bill makes special provision for free access to health services for women who were resident in Magdalen laundries and similar institutions. These women do not have to pay the statutory charge for public acute hospital inpatient services and the ex gratiapayments will not be taken into account in the financial assessment of means under the nursing home support scheme.

There is no provision in the Bill for the appointment of liaison officers. Neither was there any such provision in the Health (Amendment) Act 1996 which dealt with women who had Hepatitis C. However, I wish to assure the Deputy that, once the Bill is enacted, there will be a liaison contact in the HSE to assist the women concerned. The unit in my Department has a staff of eight who have been in daily contact over the past year with the women concerned. They have been dealing with them in respect of the ex gratiapayments. However, if other issues arise in their contact with the women, they have been helping the women with these as well.

I have also been examining how the women can be supported via an advocacy group. This is not on a statutory basis but on an administrative basis. I will continue to examine this.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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As discussed earlier this week, we know there are survivors who are capable of obtaining the benefits to which they are entitled. I thank the Minister for taking the suggestion I made about a comprehensive and simple-to-understand guide for the ladies. However, we know there are ladies who lack the necessary mental capacity, because they have been in an institution and have been institutionalised or because they had a mental health issue before they went in. How many women are we talking about in this particular situation? These are women who need extra help. I acknowledge the work of the national advocacy service and the trained personnel which are available. It is good that the Minister is going to look at this aspect further.

However, there are women who are in a very difficult situation and who are extremely vulnerable. These women have been taken advantage of in so many ways during their lives. With these benefits accruing to them, the hope is that their remaining years, however many they may have, will be much better and that a better quality of life is ensured.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Approximately 40 women in this situation have been identified. These women need to be helped as envisaged by the provisions in the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill. They may need support and there will be a range of options. The Bill provides for decision-making assistants, co-decision makers and decision-making representatives and the public guardian. I wish to reassure the Deputy that a medical assessment is sought if there is any indication that an applicant under our scheme has capacity issues. As the Deputy knows, there has been a large number of payments made and which now total €18 million. A huge number of women successfully applied and have been dealt with. However, there are 40 women who we have identified either with the information already available or following a medical assessment as having capacity issues. These women will need to be helped and will require these kinds of representatives.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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There are many positive aspects to what the Minister has just stated. It is when we look at these capacities that we will see if it does work. It is good that there are options available for these particular ladies, who are a particularly vulnerable group.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of support groups such as Justice for Magdalenes, which have been both tenacious and persistent in their efforts, and I thank the Minister for the role she has played.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I want to ensure that the health legislation we passed in the Dáil will progress through the Seanad in order that the relevant health services will be made available to the women as quickly as possible.