Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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585. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of applicants for funds arising from Magdalen laundries compensation; the total number confirmed; the total number paid out to date; the timeframe for future payments and other agreed rights; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25838/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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750 applications have been received so far. 436 offers of payment have been made and, of these, 346 have already received payments at a cost of €12.4m. 71 applications have been rejected as they relate to institutions outside the scheme.

The remaining applications are being processed as quickly as possible. In cases where the relevant religious congregation has no clear record my officials will carry out a thorough examination, checking whatever records are available to support the claim. Applicants, on their application forms, consented to the provision of personal information to my Department by any Government Department, agency, health or educational institution and the religious congregations for the purpose of verification in relation to their application. The applicant will also be asked to provide any relevant information that could corroborate her claim that she was in a specific institution for a period of time.

In additions to the lump sum payment each woman is entitled to a top up payment to bring her weekly income from the State to €230.30 if aged 66 or over and €100 if under that age. The Department of Social Protection is establishing a separate scheme in order to give effect to this recommendation. I have been informed that this scheme will be in place in the next couple of weeks and that the eligible women will receive written notification from that Department before their payments issue. The payments will be backdated to the 1st August 2013 so the women will not be at a loss.

As the Deputy will be aware, legislation relating to taxation issues has already been addressed. It was agreed by Government that my Department would coordinate legislation to implement Judge Quirke's other recommendations where legislation is required including the recommendation to provide medical services. The Bill will include measures to deal with:

(a) the provision of medical and other services, and

(b) provision that payments made under the Scheme should not be taken into account for assessment purposes under the Nursing Home Support Scheme, and

(c) provisions to protect vulnerable women in the context of the scheme.

A Scheme of the Bill has now been drafted by my Department in consultation with the Department of Health. The Scheme of the Bill will be considered by Government shortly and I anticipate that the Government will approve the drafting of the Bill at that stage.

With the cooperation of the Oireachtas, I expect that the Bill will have a reasonably speedy progress towards enactment.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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586. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has investigated concerns from recipients of Magdalen laundry compensation funds that the payments have impacted upon their pension rights; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25839/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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There will be no impact on the pension rights of recipients of payments under the Magdalen Scheme for those residing in Ireland. We have not received any concerns or complaints from individuals, eligible to receive payments under the Scheme, residing in other jurisdictions. As a number of applicants are residing in the UK we are pursuing a dialogue with the UK authorities on implications of payments for those in receipt of UK social benefits.