Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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130. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1237 of 27 July 2021, the status of the report of the interdepartmental group set up to develop detailed proposals for the restorative recognition scheme for survivors of mother and baby and county home institutions; if he has received the report to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48522/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Deputy will be aware that, as part of its response to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes (and Certain Related Matters), the Government committed to establishing a Restorative Recognition Scheme for survivors of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. This Scheme will include a financial payment and a form of enhanced medical card.

An Interdepartmental Group (IDG) was set up to develop detailed proposals for the Scheme, taking account of the recommendations of the Commission but not limited to those recommendations. The work of the IDG was guided by a human rights focus and informed by consultation with survivors which took place during March and April, with a strong response received to that consultation process.

The work of the Interdepartmental Group is effectively complete, and I look forward to receiving its final report very soon and bringing proposals to Cabinet for approval this month. When Cabinet approval for a Scheme is received, my Department will then begin the significant work necessary to establish this Scheme and make it available for applications as soon as possible in 2022.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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131. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the advice he sought from persons and bodies with expertise in GDPR concerning subject access requests by survivors seeking personal information from the archive of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48686/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In order to assist the processing of subject access requests from individuals seeking personal information from the archive and to vindicate the rights of data subjects, my Department has put in place a multi-disciplinary team which includes legal and data protection expertise. Officials in my Department who process SARs from individuals completed data protection training delivered by external consultants to ensure that they are appropriately equipped to respond to requests in respect of the archive. My Department has sought and obtained legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General on a range of issues relating to subject access requests by survivors seeking personal information from the archive of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

In addition, my Department has engaged external data protection consultants to support the processing of requests from data subjects and, in consultation with the Attorney General, has developed guidelines which set out the steps that must be taken in response to each subject access request.