Written answers

Thursday, 4 February 2021

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps taken to implement speedily the decisions of Government following the publication of the Commission on Mother and Baby Homes report; the progress on each decision to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6206/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In responding to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation, the Government approved the development of a Strategic Action Plan encompassing a suite of 22 specific measures.  The Action Plan centres on a number of distinct themes including: access to personal information; archiving and databases; education and research; memorialisation; dignified burial, and restorative recognition. These themes take account of the Commission's recommendations and are intended to respond to the priority needs and concerns of former residents and their families.

This is a hugely important process for all connected to these institutions and I will be working with colleagues and survivors to advance these matters as a priority. The Government's Strategic Action Plan is now available to view on my Department's website at  .  Many of these actions are complex and will take considerable coordination across a number of Departments to implement but I am committed to ensuring that survivors see tangible results as quickly as is possible.

Most importantly, we will take a survivor-centred approach, characterised by consistent engagement with former residents and their representative groups, including the survivor diaspora, on the development and implementation of the strategic plan and associated policy responses. I want to commence this enhanced dialogue as quickly as possible. Structured engagement and consultation of this nature requires specific structures, systems and resources to ensure it is inclusive and effective. Innovative methods are required to achieve this objective, especially given the continuing challenges presented by the restrictions necessary to reduce the public health risks associated with Covid-19. 

As a first step, I have commenced this consultation with members of the Collaborative Forum as I believe that a new and enhanced model of engagement, which builds upon the strengths of the existing process, can increase opportunities for direct engagement with the large number of stakeholders and their representative groups.

In addition, an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) has been established to develop proposals for a bespoke ex-gratia Restorative Recognition Scheme to provide financial recognition enhanced access to health supports in respect of the issues examined by the Commission of Investigation.  I want the scheme to be designed as early as possible in 2021. The IDG is tasked with reporting by the end of April to enable specific proposals to be brought to Government.

It is important to say that counselling supports were immediately available to survivors and relevant details are available on my Department's website and through the HSE.  

I have also prioritised the preparation of Information and Tracing legislation to give individuals the fullest possible access to their birth and early life information.  The database and related records which were transferred recently from the Commission of Investigation to Tusla will greatly support timely access to such information in accordance with this proposed new legislation.

Related to this legislative work, intensive work is ongoing in my Department to prepare for transfer of the Commission's archive so that subject access requests in relation to these records can be managed in an efficient, effective and transparent manner, in full compliance with the Data Protection Regulatory Framework. Advances are also be made in relation to a number of the specifics actions, including those relating to education and research the development of a central repository for related institutional records.

Finally, the General Scheme of the Certain Institutional Burial (Authorised Interventions) Bill has now commenced the process of pre-legislative scrutiny process. The Joint Oireachtas Committee of Children, Equality, Disability and Integration has invited submissions from interested parties by 19 February. The Committee will consider those submissions, and may hold public sessions over the following weeks. When it has completed the scrutiny process it will make a report. This will allow the Department to complete the drafting of this important Bill. 

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