Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the Senator's initial point about timelines, we know from the history that this institutional relationship was often complex. There will be times when there will have to be some back and forth between an applicant and a chief deciding officer. We have designed the scheme to make it as simple as possible. In the significant majority of cases the scheme will deliver that simplicity and do so as quickly as possible. However, I cannot say that for every circumstance. That is why we did not just rely on the records. We have allowed for the affidavit element as well.

I cannot speak to how the chief deciding officer ultimately makes a determination. That determination can be appealed to the independent appeals officer. On a point of law, that can be appealed to the High Court. I just cannot make a broad statement in terms of how they will be decided ultimately.

Some of these locations have a joint register for the county home and the maternity hospital. In that situation we will have to look at it as the register being for the county home. It is also important to recognise that this legislation is designed for people who were in mother and baby homes and county homes. We know mothers experienced trauma in other institutional settings in Ireland in decades past. This legislation cannot encompass every single setting. It is designed around the mother and baby home and county home institutions. That is what we are seeking to make provision for. It is that element of clarity for these co-located sites, that people who were there and were part of the mother and baby home and county home system are eligible.