Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

These bodies have responsibility. They profited from this period, committed abuse and must be accountable if there is to be any sense that we are moving forward as a State. With respect to the Minister, meeting the religious orders is one thing but other legal measures should be looked at if necessary. Again, those who created shell companies to hide assets, not back in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s but in recent years, must be dealt with because that is a continuation of abuse.

I have four other questions. I am concerned about the matter of work. Others have mentioned child labour and the labour of women who were forced to board out. The phrase "work payment" is a dangerous one because it implies the State is paying for work. It is of course not compatible with the working time Act. It should not be a work payment. This is a compensatory payment. In the calculation grids I have seen it should be made explicitly clear this is not considered as appropriate payment for work done. It must be framed as a compensatory payment for the inappropriate forcing of labour.

I refer to the six-month cut-off for children in the redress scheme. Over 30 clinicians have told us that is not how childhood trauma works. It is arbitrary. Ms Samantha Long, who has been an extraordinary spokesperson on this issue, has made clear that a two-tier scheme damages everybody. I mention trauma within the period of two or three months. How does that capture, for example, illegal adoption, separation or the possible death of a sibling?

Another crucial issue is the enhanced medical card scheme. As for cutting women off from that scheme because they spent three or six months in an institution when they went through birth, let us remember the testimony from Bessborough where women were not given an anaesthetic. They were not given painkillers because they were meant to suffer. That happened in the first week or day in these homes. That is within the first three months. Are we saying those women should be separated out and not given a medical card?

I have a number of points but I will suspend them. On information, I ask that the Minister please listen to independent experts. Tusla's measure in bringing in the social statutory instrument from the 1980s sends a regressive message.