Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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179. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the dismay of survivors of laundries at the addendum requests from his Department and the fact that the Ombudsman has taken issue with the nature of the requests; and the way in which he plans to address same. [49801/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to complying with all of the recommendations of the Ombudsman in relation to the operation of Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex Gratia Scheme. My officials have been in ongoing contact with the Ombudsman’s Office as we go about implementing his recommendations.

In relation to the Ombudsman's principal recommendation that the Scheme should be applied to women who worked in the laundry of one of the 12 'Magdalen' Institutions and who were resident in one of 14 adjoining institutions, the Addendum to the terms of the scheme giving effect to this recommendation has been finalised, approved by the Attorney General and published on the Department's website - www.justice.ie.

Letters have issued to all persons known to date to my Department who may be eligible for an award under the terms of the Addendum. I must emphasise that these letters do not seek any information which the Department already has and that any additional information sought is necessary to process the applications in as timely a fashion as possible. Further, the letters to the women concerned make it clear that any further relevant information sought relates to work in the laundry in as much detail as they can remember.

Evidence of work in a laundry is required to qualify under the Scheme. My Department officials have significant experience in administering the scheme, having awarded redress to in excess of 700 applicants to date and their approach is also informed by the Ombudsman’s report and by ongoing contact with that office. They understand that applicants may not be able to be exact in relation to the details of how often or how long they worked in a laundry and applicants are invited to describe anything they can remember that will help the officials administering the Scheme to build up a picture of how long they worked in the laundry of a Magdalen Institution and to make a decision on their application and to calculate the lump sum due to a successful applicant. Awards will not be sub-divided into hours or days and there will be no deviation from the table of payments as set out in Appendix A of the Quirke Report.

The Addendum provides that the first phase of processing a completed application is the making of a provisional assessment as to whether the applicant comes within the scope of the scheme. This assessment will be made based on the records of the institutions concerned (where available) and any other relevant records or statements, which may include the applicant's testimony and in some cases testimony from other persons. Each application will be assessed individually on its merits. On this basis, a decision will be made as to whether on the balance of probabilities the applicant comes within the scope of the scheme. In addition, for those cases where there is insufficient documentary evidence available to make an assessment on their case, an interview process is in place so as to facilitate a fairer assessment of a woman's application. If an applicant has any difficulty in obtaining records or if another form of practical assistance is requested, my Department will be glad to assist as it has often done in the past.

The Ombudsman is being kept informed on progress in relation to the implementation of his recommendations and discussions take place, where necessary, to clarify any matters arising.