Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 28:

In page 15, after line 11, to insert the following: “Commensurate compensation from Religious Orders

22. Within 6 months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall prepare a comprehensive plan to deliver commensurate compensation from Religious Orders, this to include a consideration of every avenue of recourse and a timeline of engagements and actions, in pursuit of the public good.”.

The amendment calls for, within six months of the passing of the Bill, a plan to be put in place to seek compensation from institutions responsible for systematic abuse. Whether the institutions were State-run or religious, Catholic or Protestant, privately operated or otherwise, they must be held financially accountable to survivors. Compensation is a fundamental recognition of the lifelong harm caused by the neglect, physical violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse and psychological abuse inflicted on survivors. Voluntary or discretionary payments are insufficient. Basically, they are tokenistic. The State must ensure all liable institutions contribute to a transparent compensation fund. To exempt institutions or to not pursue payment would perpetuate the culture of impunity that enabled the abuse to happen in the first place. Survivors have waited long enough for justice and deserve immediate restitution. Rather than the State continuing to shield religious orders and others from financial responsibilities, it has to ensure taxpayers do not foot the bill alone for crimes the church and State played a part in.