Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their contributions. What we are dealing with here is very specific to individuals who have been identified as residents and who have been part of the previous schemes culminating from the Ryan report. I appreciate there are various different abuses that have happened in different institutions in different elements of the State. What I have to deal with specifically today are those who have, as far back as the early 2000s, been part of that redress scheme. Caranua was then established to provide further support. To speak to the point made by Senator Boyhan and others, what we are doing here is winding down that institution so these supports can be provided. Those are the parameters I have to work with in this Bill.

That is not to say what will happen in the future. We know very well that a further investigation will be taking place soon, specifically looking at schools, and we know from the O’Toole report last year exactly what that entails. This is not to try to exclude anybody but it is very specific to those who have already been identified. Of course, insofar as is possible, I want to make sure that people can access these supports as quickly as possible while not rushing something for the sake of it. I am not here to say that we have to get it done so people can have access to it. We want to make sure that it is right.

With regard to the HAA card, people will receive a medical card and, beyond that, there are further supports, many of which are included in the HAA card, such as chiropody and podiatry, physiotherapy, counselling services, home support, home nursing services and complementary therapies. All of these will be included in this package, as they are included in the HAA. The biggest difference in the HAA was specifically related to getting priority appointments where people had references from a consultant hepatologist, given the specific requirements and needs of the individuals who received that card and other payments. There is a significant amount in what is being provided here. That was part of the HAA card and it is very much in line with what would have been received by other survivors, be it those in the Magdalen laundries, the mother and baby homes or other redress schemes. The HAA card was very specific because of the known medical needs. That is why this particular provision has been put in place.

In terms of the educational supports, I reassure Members that there was no bar or level. It is everything from level 1 to level 10 and is whatever somebody wants to engage in. I want to be very clear that it does not have to be a master’s or postgraduate qualification, or anything like that. It is any level of education that people want to engage in. It is not just the grant from €500 to €2,000 that they can apply for, but also the removal of the fees and all of the other applications. I want to be clear on this point so people know that.

Regarding the work, I appreciate we are talking about amendments that were rolled out by the secretariat. I am not disputing what has been said regarding the individuals who were referred to. What we had prior to coming to the House and in recent years was a process to engage and understand what could be excluded and what could not be, and what should be included and what should not be. The recommendations I have here are based on that engagement. I take the Senator’s point that there may be another way to provide pension supports for individuals and I am very happy to explore that option with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, to see if there is an opportunity to do that. A lot of work has been done to tease through exactly what we are discussing here today. That is the reason I am giving the outline that I am.