Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Ms. Patricia Carey was appointed to the role of Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse in March 2024. Operating independently of the Minister and the Department, her primary role is to amplify the voices of survivors as a central, essential input to Government deliberations on matters which affect them and to promote the collective interests of survivors.

Strategic objectives include:

• Engagement and Consultation with Survivors and Affected Persons
• Establishment of an Advisory Council to support the work of the Special Advocate office
• Amplify voices of Survivors and Affected Persons and represent the collective interests of Survivors
• Promotion of the Special Advocate for Survivors role as a support/ resource
• Provide opportunities, with appropriate supports, for survivors to meet and share their lived experiences, to build and foster a sense of community
• Engage with Government and provide reporting on issues raised by Survivors and Affected People
• Proactively engage with Overseas Survivors and Affected People
• Development of communication and information systems in order to signpost Survivors & Affected People to relevant supports and services

In addition, the provision of an annual report to the Minister on her activities and the full suite of consultations, engagements and processes undertaken is one of the deliverables of the role. The First Annual Report of the Special Advocate was published on 24th June and is available to view online through the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/contact-us/

Funding for the office of the Special Advocate for Survivors is provided annually by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. In 2024, total funding was €442,000 – this included all service and programme support costs, as well as salaries for the Special Advocate and the secretariat team of 3. The budget for 2025 is €580,000, with the increase reflecting a full year of operation.

The Department also provides funding via the Commemorative Grant Scheme for Mother and Child Institutions. This scheme is designed to provide financial assistance to survivor centred advocacy groups for the purpose of organising commemorative events. The following table summarises the funding provided from 2023 to date.

Organisation	Events	Amount Issued	Amount Spent*	Amount Unspent & Returned to Dept.*
Bessboro Commemoration Group	Annual Commemorative Events 2023, 2024 and 2025	€6,400	€4,523	€1,877
Castlepollard Mother and Baby Home Group	Annual Commemorative Events 2023, 2024 and 2025	€7,360	€4,061	€799
Fréa – Renewing Roots	Screening of Films including ‘Stolen’ in various locations in 2024 and 2025	€9,042	€4823	€106

* Final costs for 2025 have not yet been received as some events have taken place recently or are yet to take place

The Special Advocate's qualifications include an NFQ Level 8 Degree, NFQ Level 9 qualifications in Education and Teaching; Equality Studies; Public Sector Governance; Leadership and additional qualifications in Mediation and, Charity Law and Governance.

The remit of the Special Advocate encompasses Mother and Baby Institutions, County Home Institutions, Magdalen Laundries, Industrial and Reformatory Schools and those adopted, boarded out or subject to illegal birth registration. The establishment of an independent Special Advocate with this broad remit has created one centralised resource for survivors to contact for support and advice, avoiding duplication and ensuring survivors are referred to the relevant services.