Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Áire. I regret the fact that out of frustration I have had to put down this motion. A resident of Carlow who could not vote for me in the last election due to the boundaries attended as a child the residential institutions of St. Patrick's, Navan Road, and St. Philomena's, Stillorgan. As these institutions were not listed in the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, she could not seek compensation.

I understand that institutions which were left out in the past are being added to the list to allow those who attended them to seek compensation. In trying to address this matter, we have been given the run-around from various agencies which assured us that the Bill would come before the Houses of the Oireachtas last Christmas. Subsequently, it was stated that the Bill would come before the Houses in January but five months later we are into July and it has not appeared.

I hope that in her reply the Minister will give the woman on whose behalf I have raised this matter a definite indicator as to when the institutions she attended will be listed to allow her to proceed with her case. The lady in question is unwell and there are other complicating factors in her case. The Minister would not want anyone to suffer any longer than this lady has already.