Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate my colleagues on Dublin City Council who approved the scheme to build 853 homes on the Oscar Traynor site. It includes 40% cost-rental, 40% social and 20% affordable housing and is a physical manifestation of the legislation that was passed in these Houses, so we should congratulate the Minister on that. It is a hugely welcome development but there are other really important developments around the city, such as St. Michael's Estate, where I would like to see a scheme approved. I raised this last week and the Minister has agreed to meet the community behind the cost-rental model in St. Michael's Estate. I would like to see more fresh impetus behind that scheme.

I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has sought to exclude from the redress scheme those who were in mother and baby homes for less than six months. I know other people have raised this. I saw today that 30 clinicians have written to the Minister to say how damaging early childhood trauma can be and that it is shocking that these people have been excluded. Whether you are one day or one year in such a place, it will have a really detrimental impact on you. In the space of six months there is ample opportunity to be emotionally or physically abused. Many children were boarded out, sometimes adopted out illegally or sent to industrial schools. I would like to know the rationale for the exclusion of those who spent less than six months in these homes.