Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to consider providing access to a HAA medical card and a full pension to industrial school survivors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53385/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In June 2023, the Government approved the provision of a package of supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions, such as industrial schools and reformatories, comprised of ongoing health, education and advocacy supports.

While the provision of health and supports required the passage of legislation, in November 2023 the Department entered a grant funding arrangement with Sage Advocacy, a specialist independent advocacy organisation, to provide advocacy supports to survivors wishing to engage with other relevant services.

Government approved the legislation required to roll out health and education supports in April 2024 and the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 completed its passage through the legislative process in July 2025.

It is estimated that approximately 10,000 survivors who previously received an award of redress from the Residential Institutions Redress Board, or a similar court award or settlement, will be eligible for the supports provided under the Act. The provision of these supports marks a new phase in the State’s response to this issue and builds on previous initiatives including the establishment of a redress scheme, the provision of funding supports through Caranua and other supports and services.

The package of health supports and services which is provided for in this Bill will ensure survivors who are resident in the State will have access to a range of health supports through the HSE, including GP services, home nursing and home helps, chiropody and podiatry, and physiotherapy. This approach is consistent with the approach taken previously in respect of survivors and former residents of the Magdalen Laundries and Mother and Baby Institutions.

This entitlement will be for life and will not be subject to means-tests or periodic reviews.

Survivors living abroad will be able to avail of a payment of €3,000 in lieu of this package of supports, to support their health needs. This is the same approach taken in respect of the Mother and Baby Institutions.

With regard to the HAA card provided for under the Health (Amendment) Act 1996, it is important to note that this was introduced specifically to meet the very significant health needs of a particular group of individuals who had contracted a serious and life-threatening condition, i.e. individuals who had contracted Hepatitis C through the administration within the State of contaminated blood and blood products.

The Act also provides for the establishment of a new scheme involving the payment of cash grants ranging from €500 to €2,000 (depending on NFQ level and whether the course is full-time or part-time) to survivors who are engaging in further and higher education. This scheme will also ensure that survivors are not required to pay the Student Contribution Charge where this would otherwise apply.

My Department is finalising the administrative arrangements for the delivery of these supports and it is expected that they will be open for applications from survivors in the coming weeks.

With regard to pensions, it is acknowledged that some survivors have sought the provision of a pension-type payment similar to that provided to survivors of the Magdalen Laundries, and this matter was discussed in detail during the passage of the Act. However, it should be noted that those payments reflect the very particular circumstances involved, where the women were engaged, as adults, in some cases for many years, in commercial work without pay or the required social insurance contributions.