Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I cannot accept amendment No. 15 simply because I cannot legislate for what another government does in its jurisdiction. However, engagement is already happening between my Department, the Department of children and our sisters departments in Britain and Northern Ireland. As Senators referenced, the vast majority of survivors who have moved away have gone to Britain or Northern Ireland. The new scheme in Northern Ireland deals with people living in the North who were in institutions here and how payments to them from this State may impact other payments they receive. A meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference tomorrow and this issue will be part of the discussions we have.

Ultimately, how this payment is handled in terms of its impact on other benefits will be a decision for the UK Government and the Executive to make. However, I do not see why we would not reciprocate and ensure any payments we are paying out do not have any implications for individuals living there, and vice versa. We will be engaging with our British and Northern Irish colleagues in that regard. Unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment because I cannot legislate for what another country does, but that engagement is happening and will continue.

Regarding the payment amount of €3,000, I appreciate that Senators will not like my answer. It is very much about keeping the allocation in line with what was provided for other schemes and making sure we do not have something different for somebody who may have gone through a very similar experience, albeit in a different setting. The scheme will be put in place through the Department of Health and any further changes, including to the amount of the payment, will be decided by that Department. This is very much in line with what we have provided elsewhere but I appreciate that may not be what colleagues want to hear. It is important that we treat people fairly and there is equity in terms of the supports we provide.