Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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250. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022; and when the Bill will be introduced for debate in Dáil Éireann. [48666/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I am 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. It is my intention to bring the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill to Government seeking publication and presentation to the Houses of the Oireachtas in the coming weeks.

I referred the Bill to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth at the end of March for pre-legislative scrutiny. Officials from my Department appeared before the Committee as part of the scrutiny process. I received the Committee's report on the 12th July and I am very grateful to the members for giving the draft legislation their careful attention. The Committee’s recommendations have been carefully considered in the course of drafting the Bill.