Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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43. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times the Mother and Baby Home Collaborative Forum has met since 2019; and the dates on which those meetings took place. [26149/21]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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74. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the report by the Collaborative Forum of Former Residents of Mother and Baby Homes and Related Institutions will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28724/21]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on the new proposed concept model of enhanced engagement with survivors of mother and baby institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26439/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 74 and 89 together.

I am committed to ongoing engagement with former residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions and their advocates. I have personally engaged with survivors and advocacy groups since my appointment and will continue to engage with those most centrally involved with these matters. Most recently, I have hosted virtual meetings with interested parties in relation the published Heads and General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. I continue to listen carefully to stakeholders on this issue to ensure this legislation can right an historic wrong by providing access to birth certificates and early life information.

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. These measures, which take account of the Commission's recommendations and those of the Collaborative Forum, are a response to the priority needs and concerns of former residents and their families.

Most importantly, I recognise the importance of implementing these measures in a survivor-centred way, characterised by consistent engagement with former residents and their representative groups, including those who live outside the jurisdiction. Notably, several hundred survivors have contacted my Department since the report was published. Many of these individuals had never been in contact with us before and they want to actively contribute to the process. An increased level of engagement is also evident from the consultation process established to inform development of a Restorative Recognition Scheme, with approximately 450 written submissions received and 159 participants in 17 online meetings.

I am of the view that stakeholder engagement at this level requires additional dedicated structures, processes and resources to ensure it can be inclusive, effective and sustainable. To this end, I am currently consulting with members of the Collaborative Forum, as I believe that learning from existing processes can assist in developing new and enhanced approaches as quickly as possible.

I held two virtual meetings with members of the Collaborative Forum in February during which the structures to support future stakeholder engagement was a specific agenda item. In recognising the limited time available during plenary discussions, my department requested the facilitator to the Forum to further engage with members. I understand this process is nearing completion and look forward to hearing their feedback. The experience of Forum members, and other stakeholders, will assist the development and transition to a new, enhanced model of engagement.

As I have acknowledged previously, plenary meetings of Collaborative Forum have unfortunately been interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Having met in December 2019, it was necessary to put these meetings on hold in 2020 in the context of the public health restrictions as a number of members travel from outside the jurisdiction and some members are also in the at-risk groups identified by public health authorities.

Throughout 2020, members of the Forum were updated on relevant matters by the Secretariat to the group based in my Department. It is the practice and policy of my Department to issue updates and announcements to the Forum and other relevant stakeholders before they are issued to the public more generally. Most recently, there was contact with the Forum in relation to an invitation for representatives to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability and Integration in relation to the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill. The Joint Oireachtas Committee has held a number of meetings dedicated to pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. I was pleased to see the Committee directly engage with members of the Collaborative Forum and I welcome the priority which the Committee has afforded this pre-legislative scrutiny.

In relation to the Collaborative Forum’s report, it was not possible to publish the report when it was submitted to the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs because of concerns that its contents encroached upon the work of the independent statutory Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. For this reason, the Forum's recommendations were initially published and a commitment was given to revisit the question of publication following the completion of the Commission's work. Arrangements are being advanced by my Department to address the procedural requirement for identifiable parties to be afforded due process prior to publication. I expect this process to be completed in the coming weeks. I will then be in a position to engage further with the Collaborative Forum to finalise arrangements for the publication of the report.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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44. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress on implementation of the 22-point Action Plan following publication of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation final report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28733/21]

Roderic 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 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.

Many of these measures are complex and require considerable coordination across Government to implement but I am committed to ensuring that survivors see tangible results as early as possible.

It is important to say that counselling supports were immediately available to survivors and relevant details are available on my Department's website. These telephone based and face-to-face services continue to be available to any person who may require support through the established nationwide network of HSE counselling supports.

Most importantly, I recognise the importance of implementing these measures in a survivor-centred way. Notably, several hundred survivors have contacted my Department since the Commission’s report was published. In responding to this increased demand for direct engagement, we are developing new structures for an enhanced model of survivor engagement. The aim is to create a model capable of supporting sustained communication with survivors and their representative groups in Ireland and abroad.

I tasked an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) with developing detailed proposals for a Restorative Recognition Scheme to provide a financial payment and a form of enhanced medical card. While the IDG must take account of the specific recommendations made by the Commission, its considerations are not limited to those recommendations. The approach of the IDG is underpinned by a human rights focus and informed by an extensive consultation process. The consultation process was undertaken during March and April with almost 450 written submissions received and 159 participants in 17 online meetings. The IDG is working hard to deliver its report to me. I will then be in a position to bring recommendations to Government for its decision on the parameters of the scheme.

I recently published the Heads and General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. In giving effect to my commitment to a survivor centred approach, I have hosted virtual meetings with interested parties in relation to the legislative proposals. I continue to listen carefully to stakeholders on this issue to ensure we can balance personal rights in a fair and compassionate way and right an historic wrong by providing access to birth certificates and early life information.

Related to this legislative work, my Department has recruited an archivist who is leading the work on the preservation of, and public access to, relevant records within my Department. The archivist is part of a new Information Management Unit established to manage the Commission’s archive of records and support compliance with GDPR, including providing access for individuals to their personal information. The archivist will also support expert consideration of future work on the creation of a central repository of records.

In addition, the Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability and Integration. This legislation is required to support the proposed interventions at the Tuam site. It will also enable intervention at any other institutional sites where manifestly inappropriate burials have taken place. I welcome the priority which the Committee has afforded this pre-legislative scrutiny and I look forward to its report contributing to the development of this legislation.

My Department, in collaboration with the Irish Research Council, has commissioned NUI Galway to undertake a research project on language and terminology. The aim of this project is to highlight the stigmatising and labelling language that has been used in the past and to provide guidance as to how to address this issue. The method used will be a 'history of the present' approach which aims to critically analyse the past to help inform the present and the future.

My Department is also advancing separate proposals with the Irish Research Council for a new scholarship programme on childhood disadvantage. I expect further details on this programme to be announced over the summer.

Along with the Commemorative Grant Scheme, established to support survivors in commemorating their experiences in a manner which fits their own specific needs, my Department is scoping the approach to memorialisation initiatives to enable these important measures to be advanced with relevant agencies.

Implementing the Government’s Action Plan is a hugely important process for all connected to these institutions and I will continue to work with Government colleagues and survivors to advance related measures.