Religious orders have yet to agree on contribution to mother and baby home redress scheme

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman said negotiations with religious orders on their contribution to redress scheme were taking 'some time'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Negotiations on how much the Church should pay towards mother and baby home redress have been put on the back burner, as the Government prioritises the rollout of the scheme.

Religious orders have yet to agree on how much will be contributed toward the mother and baby home redress scheme, with negotiations taking "some time", according to Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman.

This €800m scheme will provide financial payments and an enhanced medical card to defined groups in acknowledgment of suffering experienced while resident in mother and baby and county home institutions.

No deadline has been put on the talks with the six religious orders involved in mother and baby homes, and the negotiations appear to have slowed as officials focus on getting the scheme up and running.

Officials now recognise the redress scheme is likely to be rolled out without any agreement from the religious orders on the amount they will pay into it.

"Following Government approval for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, Minister O’Gorman commenced a process of engagement with all the religious congregations and church leaders with a view to discussing with them how they might contribute to the payment scheme," a spokesperson for the Department of Children said.

"The minister recognises that the process is taking some time. This is because it has been necessary to prioritise the delivery of the essential legislation for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. 

The negotiations with the religious congregations, even if not concluded prior to the enactment of the legislation, will not adversely impact the timing of the opening of the scheme."

Mr O'Gorman previously told the Irish Examiner he had received approval for an overall financial payments package worth €800m, which means the entire cost has been budgeted for. 

"It will be drawn down over a five-year period so that is what's been budgeted for. So the State can afford to pay it."

However, he said the aim was to secure a "significant" contribution from the various religious orders.

The Government cannot compel the orders to make any payment, but it is requesting orders to help pay for some of the cost of the redress scheme.

Mr O'Gorman first wrote to the religious orders that ran mother and baby institutions, as well as to the archbishops of Dublin and Armagh, in January 2021, seeking a financial contribution to the Government’s redress scheme.

Meetings commenced in December 2021 on an individual basis, with each of the religious congregations and lay Catholic organisations involved with these institutions.

"The purpose of the meetings was to outline the details of the proposed payment scheme and to discuss how the congregation or organisation intends to contribute to the cost of this scheme," the department spokesperson said.

"It is acknowledged that these discussions are very important to survivors and to the public. The matter, while ongoing, is being treated as confidential, in keeping with best practice in respect of any process of negotiation. A full report with be provided to Government when the negotiations are concluded."

Campaigners and survivors have raised a number of concerns around the redress scheme, which they say does not go far enough. The scheme has been criticised as it excludes many people who were born in mother and baby homes and does not take into consideration those who were boarded out.