Seanad debates

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

10:30 am

Photo of Alice-Mary HigginsAlice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Again, we need to do better than regretting that a very large company with a legacy of systemic abuse of the vulnerable does not want to do more. We need to know what we can make them do. I will press my amendment because it refers to one approach. Again, the amendment my colleagues and I tabled yesterday sought the State to examine its legal options. I think that the State does need to examine its legal options and simply requesting information is not enough. As I stated yesterday in respect of the congregations, we need to be very clear that these are not historical abuses. If the choice is today, in 2023, to not address, and not provide justice, redress or contribution and in no way compensate those who were mistreated as a policy, and I mean who were, as a policy, exploited by the company or congregation, and the decision is to simply provide information and not provide any meaningful contribution or compensation, then that is an abusive decision which is targeted at vulnerable persons that is being made in 2023. Therefore, it is no longer historical abuse but contemporary abuse and it is in that regard I hear that the Minister will not press forward. However, I will press the amendment as the Minister does not intend to accept it. We need to see more than meetings with or requests from, or moral appeals. We know these companies, whose bottom line is clearly their focus, respond to what they are required to do. If that needs to be a levy or some other such measure in respect of medical justice, then so be it. I think that we need to look to other harder mechanisms. Although the Minister did not accept our amendment yesterday, I urge the State to review its legal options in terms of compelling these companies to make contributions.

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