Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1180. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will indicate the eligibility requirement for redress and compensation as part of the Mother and Baby Homes redress scheme in the case of a person (details supplied); the procedure to apply for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29504/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In March 2022 I secured Government approval for the draft Heads of Bill for the Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme. I sought priority drafting of the Bill to ensure that it can be introduced to the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as possible. I also referred the draft Heads of Bill to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for pre-legislative scrutiny and requested their assistance in meeting the urgent need to deliver this Scheme for survivors as soon as possible. That process is underway, with the Joint Oireachtas Committee launching a public consultation process on the draft legislation in April and hearings commencing in May. My Department has engaged with the process.

In parallel with the legislative process, my Department is working on the administrative arrangements needed to operate the Scheme and deal with applications. Once the legislation has been passed by the Oireachtas and the necessary preparatory work has been completed, the Scheme will be open for applications. I hope that this will be possible by the end of 2022. Details on how to apply will be widely advertised when the Scheme is launched.

A person who was resident as a child in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution for a period of six months or more will be entitled to a General Payment under the Scheme and will also be eligible for a form of enhanced medical card. Full details of the proposals for the Scheme, including a table which sets out the payment rates agreed by Government for inclusion in the Scheme, can be found on my Department’s website (www.gov.ie/en/publication/0c637-mother-and-baby-institutions-payment-scheme/).

I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering the Scheme as soon as possible.