Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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77. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the financial support available to Kildare County Council to provide a monument at the former county home in Athy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18553/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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In September 2021, Minister O'Brien established a Working Group to progress the actions involving local authorities set out in the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions.

Chaired by my Department, the Working Group comprises representatives of local authorities and the Departments of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Rural and Community Development.

Following its deliberations, research and consultations, including with survivors and survivor advocacy groups, the Working Group will issue guidance to assist all local authorities in implementing actions relating specifically to local memorialisation projects, in line with the wishes of former residents of mother and baby homes.

Under its terms of reference, the Working Group will also consider and quantify the possible or likely costs associated with delivering this aim at local level. I expect that the Working Group will issues its guidelines to local authorities over the summer.

I am aware that a number of local authorities have already erected or are progressing local memorialisation projects using own resources, which is welcomed.

My colleague, Mr Roderic O'Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has available a grant scheme to support commemorative events for former residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The grant scheme, launched first in 2020, provides financial assistance to survivor led advocacy groups for the purpose of organising and running local commemorative events.