Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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351. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will refer a group (details supplied) to the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11004/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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My Department has responsibility for the Magdalen Restorative Justice Implementation Unit, which was established to administer the Magdalen Ex-Gratia Scheme. This involves the processing of applications to the Scheme, the payment of the ex-gratia awards to eligible applicants and the transmission of relevant details to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for the calculation of pension entitlements and to the HSE for the issue  of the Medical Card. The Unit also makes every effort to assist applicants who make contact seeking referrals to other State services.

While the Unit maintains a database of all applicants to the scheme, applicants do not typically maintain contact with the Unit once their applications have been processed, nor are they obliged to do so.  For that reason, my Department does not hold current contact details of places of residence for all applicants.  Having reviewed the records of the Unit, I can confirm that there were there are no applicants recorded as being resident at this nursing home. 

I would note that my Department has no responsibility for the National Advocacy Service, which is funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.  I similarly have no role in relation to the management or oversight of nursing homes. However, I have asked my officials to contact the National Advocacy Service over the coming days to determine whether my Department can provide any assistance in relation to this matter.