Written answers
Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
Departmental Data
Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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808. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the composition of the steering group for the national centre for research and remembrance for survivors of institutional abuse; the number of survivors who will be appointed to the board; the number of officials on the board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38974/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The National Centre for Research and Remembrance, to be located in Sean MacDermott Street, Dublin 1, will comprise a museum and exhibition space, a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in the 20th century, and a garden space for reflection and remembrance. This Centre will honour equally all those who spent time in Industrial Schools, Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, Reformatories, and related institutions.
The National Centre campus will also make a valuable contribution to the social and economic development of Dublin’s North East Inner City, through the provision of social housing units, further and higher educational facilities, and facilities for family and parenting supports.
A Steering Group, chaired by Mr Martin Fraser, former Secretary General to the Government and Ambassador to Great Britain, was established in April 2022 and is driving the overall coordinated development of the National Centre campus. In addition to the chairperson, the composition of the Steering Group is as follows:
- Special Advocate for Survivors
- Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Department of the Taoiseach
- Office of Public Works
- Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
- National Archives of Ireland
- National Museum of Ireland
- Department of Education and Youth
- Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
- Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
- Dublin City Council
- North East Inner City Initiative
The expansion of the Steering Group to include survivor representation is one of a number of commitments that have been made in response to feedback that was gathered at a recent series of engagement events with survivors and affected persons. All 21 commitments can be viewed in the Steering Group’s response document which is available on the National Centre website – www.gov.ie/nationalcentre.
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