Written answers
Thursday, 7 March 2024
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Mother and Baby Homes
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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331. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans in his Department to launch a public awareness campaign of the mother and baby redress scheme opening; if there is to be a time limit on the application period given the urgency of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11454/24]
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will open for applications on 20 March.
A dedicated webpage is now live at www.gov.ie/paymentscheme, which contains information on how people will be able to apply to the Payment Scheme, and what information applicants will need. Once the Scheme opens, the Payment Scheme Office will process all applications as quickly as possible, with the first payments expected to be made in Quarter 2 of this year.
The Scheme runs for five years and will be promoted through a substantive public awareness campaign that will be delivered in Ireland and overseas. To this end, a recent stakeholder engagement process for the Payment Scheme has concluded with representatives reviewing some of the application and information materials for the Scheme.
From 20 March people will be able to apply online or by post, using a printed form. Support will be available for anyone who needs it, via a dedicated helpline, operated by the Payment Scheme Office. The Scheme will give priority to applications according to the age of the applicant, and so applications from older people will be prioritised.
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