Government appoints negotiator for redress talks with religious orders

Roderic O'Gorman said he could not put a figure on just how much the orders which ran the homes will contribute to the €800m scheme. Photo: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

The Government has appointed an external negotiator to conduct redress talks with religious orders.

Religious orders have yet to agree how much they will contribute toward the mother and baby home redress scheme, with negotiations taking a backseat to the roll-out of the scheme. However, on Tuesday Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman appointed former INTO general secretary, Sheila Nunan, as the lead negotiator on behalf of the State.

A Government statement said that the purpose of the negotiator role is "to undertake, on behalf of the minister, the ongoing negotiations with the religious congregations, lay Catholic organisations and church leaders who were involved with Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, with a view to securing a financial contribution towards the cost of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme".

However, speaking to the media on Tuesday, Mr O'Gorman said he could not put a figure on just how much the orders which ran the homes will contribute to the €800m scheme. The 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.

He denied that the appointment of Ms Nunan was an attempt to pass the buck on responsibility for ensuring the congregations pay. “We’ve given a six-month period for these engagements to take place, with the possibility of extension. Subsequently then, any finalised package or offer will come back to Government.

“Last year, I indicated that I would expect to see a meaningful contribution from congregations and lay organisations involved in the running of mother and baby and county home institutions, so today we've appointed Sheila Nunan to continue those engagements.

“I've met with six congregations, one Catholic lay organisation and the Church of Ireland previously, and Ms Nunan will continue those engagements now.”

Tuam Mother and Baby Home

Mr O'Gorman also announced the appointment of Daniel Mac Sweeney as the Director of Authorised Intervention to oversee the excavation of the burial site at Tuam.

Mr Mac Sweeney will head up the independent office that has been established under the Institutional Burials Act 2022 to oversee the work of ensuring the children’s remains at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam are recovered and re-interred in what the Government calls "a respectful and appropriate way".

Mr O'Gorman said that Mr Mac Sweeney's office had been given significant resources and powers.

"We've given this agency very significant powers in terms of the ability to excavate, to exhume remains, and to analyse remains, and indeed give individualised reports on each set of remains where possible in terms of potential cause of death and the like.

"We also removed a prohibition that had existed in the earlier legislation in terms of any engagement from the coroner." It is hoped that exhumations will begin later this year.