Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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375. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will support the women who spent time in the Magdalen laundries as a matter of priority, in particular in providing the full Health Amendment Act, HAA, card, and with regard to representation to those women who lack the capacity and do not have the support of independent advocates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4750/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Judge Quirke recommended that the women receive medical services equivalent to those provided by the holder of a HAA card and he also advised that “not all of the services described in the Guide may be directly relevant to the Magdalen women and any comparable Guide for the Magdalen women would require suitable adaptation.

Judge Quirke also recommended that legislation was required to give effect to this recommendation. The legislative vehicle to achieve this is the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill 2014 which has passed Second Stage in the Dail. The Bill provides for a broad range of medical services without charge to women who were resident in these institutions. These health services are as follows:

(a) General Practitioner and surgical services

(b) Drugs, medicines and surgical appliances

(c) Nursing services

(d) Home help services

(e) Dental, ophthalmic and aural services

(f) Counselling services

(g) Chiropody services

(h) Physiotherapy services

There is no means assessment in regard to any of the above services which will be provided to these women and, in addition, they will be exempt from charges for acute in-patient services.

With regard to the provision for care representatives, I can advise the Deputy that women who were in the Magdalen laundries are already covered under section 21 of the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009 which makes provision for persons to act as care representatives in respect of any person applying for support under that Act.

In addition, the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Bill 2014 is awaiting committee stage in the Dáil. This provides for a range of options including decision making assistants, co-decision makers, decision making representatives and the public guardian, which are well suited to look after the best interests of the women who were in Magdalen laundries and have capacity issues.

As the Deputy will be aware this Bill is just one part of a wider package of supports for these women. Under the Scheme the women are eligible for a payment of between €11,500 and €100,000 depending on the length of stay in a relevant institution. To date, my Department has made decisions on 87% of the cases and a total of over €18m has been paid out so far. The women are also entitled to top up pension type payments of up to €100 under the age of 66 and up to €230.30 aged 66 and over. These payments are being paid by the Department of Social Protection.

The Government is committed to full implementation of the Quirke report.