Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for her detailed statement. I welcome Sheila O'Byrne and Catherine Coffey O'Brien to the Chamber today. I thank them for engaging with me beforehand and for their candour as they told their story. I look forward to seeing how we can meet their demands and requirements later on.

I rise to express my support for the Supports for the Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024. The Bill represents more than just legislation. It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the survivors of some of the darkest chapters in our State's history. For too long the voices of those who suffered in residential institutes were not heard, and in more recent years, we have taken steps to acknowledge those wrongs through redress, the work of Caranua and the Ryan report. Today we take another necessary step forward. This Bill, as the Minister said, has two key objectives. First is to ensure the continued delivery of essential health and education supports to survivors. The Bill ensures eligible survivors, particularly those receiving compensation from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or similar court awards or settlements, will continue to receive crucial health and education assistance. In respect of health supports for Irish residents, the HSE will be mandated to provide a range of health services, including GP services, prescribed drugs, medicines, home nursing, home help and dental among others, but also to provide health supports for non-Irish residents. Survivors living outside Ireland will receive a health support payment of €3,000 to assist with their health needs. As the Minister said regarding education supports, cash grants ranging from €500 to €2,000 will be available to eligible survivors wishing to undertake education or training courses. This applies regardless of whether they live in Ireland or abroad, and there is a maximum overall cap of €8,000 depending on their course level. Survivors can make one application per year.

Second, the Bill provides for the orderly and respectful dissolution of Caranua, a body that played a vital role in supporting survivors and whose work is now complete. Crucially, this legislation ensures survivors, both those living here in Ireland and those living abroad, will continue to receive targeted, meaningful supports, whether through health services, education grants or the waiving of student contribution fees. This Bill acknowledges not only the past suffering but also the ongoing needs and dignity of survivors today. I especially welcome the inclusion of advocacy support through Sage Advocacy, which directly responds to the survivors’ own calls for help in navigating services. It is a compassionate and practical measure that ensures no one is left behind simply because they struggle to access the assistance available to them.The work of the Residential Institutions Redress Board and the education and finance board, Caranua, collectively represents nearly €1.1 billion in support, but we know money alone cannot help heal those deep wounds. What this Bill does and why it matters is that it continues the State's recognition and care for survivors in a structured and sustainable way. Let us be clear: this is not the end of a process but the beginning of a new phase in how the State supports those who are so gravely wronged. It is a statement that we will not forget, abandon or fail to act. I commend the Minister and the Department on their work on this Bill. I urge all Members of the House to support its passage.