Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plan to provide survivors of institutional abuse with a HAA medical care and a full contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59580/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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707. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a HAA medical card can be awarded to all industrial and reformatory schools survivors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58333/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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758. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions she will take to urgently bring the hunger strike by representatives of the Industrial Schools and Reformatory Schools survivors to an end (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58713/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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821. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to examine the case in correspondence (details supplied) to urgently intervene and bring an end to the hunger strike by representatives of the industrial schools and reformatory schools survivors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59190/25]

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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823. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she aware of the hunger strikers outside Leinster House who are seeking support from her Department regarding the abuse they suffered in educational institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59275/25]

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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824. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when her Department will engage with the survivors on hunger strike; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59276/25]

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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825. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will grant survivors a Health Amendment Act medical card and full State pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59277/25]

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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836. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the survivors of industrial schools who are on hunger strike outside Leinster House; if she is aware that they have passed their 30th day of hunger strike; if she has met with this group about their demands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59412/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 707, 758, 821, 823, 824, 825 and 836 together.

I can assure the Deputy that Government is very conscious of the enormous trauma which has been experienced by all survivors of abuse.

As the Deputy will be aware, 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.

The provision of the health and education supports in particular is enabled by the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025, which completed its passage through the Oireachtas in July.

During the passage of the Act, I spoke with a number of survivors who were present in the Seanad. This included the individuals who are currently engaged in a protest outside Leinster House.

In addition, two members of the group were previously members of a Consultative Forum which met with Minister Foley on a number of occasions, including an in-person meeting which was held in Dublin in February of last year.

In August, officials from my Department met directly with the group in Limerick to listen to their concerns.

Since the group began its protest, I met personally with the group on Monday 29 September and have also written to them on a number of occasions (26 September, and 1, 4, 13, 28 and 31 October). An Taoiseach Micheál Martin also met with them on Friday 3 October.

Subsequently, both An Taoiseach and I met directly the group in Government buildings on Wednesday 29 October. A number of issues were discussed at that meeting and the group has agreed to have an initial meeting with a mediator.

Officials from the Department have also engaged with the group on a number of occasions since they have commenced their action, as has the Special Advocate for Survivors, Ms Patricia Carey.

The group has outlined their concerns regarding the further supports which are to be provided to survivors and, in particular, has sought the provision of a HAA card and pension for survivors.

With regard to the HAA card, it is important to note that this was introduced under the Health (Amendment) Act 1996 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.

With regard to pension payments, the survivors are making reference to a form of payment which was made to survivors of the Magdalen Laundries. 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.

While it is acknowledged that the Act does not go as far as the group would wish, Government considered all of the issues that the survivors have raised during its consideration of the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 and the focus is now on implementing the supports for which it provides.

However, there were a number of other issues which have been raised by the group, including memorialisation, records, exam certification and the removal of criminal records, which officials are examining further.

At all times, the primary concern has been that the group should safeguard their ongoing physical and mental health, and they have consistently and respectfully been urged to do so. In that regard, it should be noted that the HSE and National Ambulance Service have been undertaking periodic checks on their health and welfare, in so far as this is possible given their setting.

In addition, and in the context of the severe weather warnings issued by Met Éireann for 3 and 4 October, the Department offered to source accommodation for the group to safeguard their wellbeing during that period, but this offer was turned down.

The group has been consistently informed that officials are available to engage with them and it is regrettable that they have chosen to continue on their current course.