Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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17. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the discussions and input her Department has had with the Department of Health regarding the health care and community benefits as recommended for the Magdalen laundries' survivors by Mr. Justice Quirke in his report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35378/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has had detailed consultation with the Department of Health in order to prepare a draft scheme of a Bill to provide health benefits as recommended by Justice Quirke. This Bill is currently being drafted and I intend to publish the Bill as soon as possible in order for it to be enacted in the current Oireachtas session. The Bill will enable the Health Service Executive to make available, without charge a range of services. These will include:

- general practitioner medical and surgical services

- drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances

- nursing services specified in section 60 of the Act of 1970

- dental, ophthalmic and aural treatment and dental, optical and aural appliances

- counselling services in respect of the period of time during which a relevant participant was admitted to and worked in a relevant institution

- chiropody services

- physiotherapy services

The Department of Health has advised that, given the wide variation of country health system's organisation, access to equivalent medical services for participants living abroad will be dealt with on an administrative basis by the HSE, as appropriate to the specific circumstances of the individual and the country of residence and its health system organisation.

The Bill will also include a provision to exempt ex-gratia payments under my Department's scheme of support for women who worked in Magdalen Laundries from any assessment of means under the Nursing Home Support Schemes Act 2009. The Deputy will be aware that this scheme provides payments of between €11,500 and €100,000 to the women, depending on the length of stay in the relevant institution. To date 442 applicants have received ex-gratia payments totalling €16 million.

In addition to these measures, the Minister for Social Protection is making top up pension-type payments to these women to bring her weekly income from the State to €230.30 if 66 or over and €100 if under that age.