Mother and Baby Home redress scheme signed into law

In an email sent to survivors of the institutions on Wednesday afternoon, the Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said: 'I am pleased to notify you that the President yesterday signed into law the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023'. Picture: Julien Behal

The long-awaited redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes has been signed into law, the Minister for Children has announced.

It comes two years after the publication of the final report by the Commission of Inquiry into the religious-run institutions.

The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023, which will cost the state €800m, has caused concern for many survivors.

The law excludes those who were in a home less than six months, as well as people who were fostered or boarded out by the State.

Around 68,000 people are believed to have gone through the religious run system for unmarried mothers — but only 34,000 survivors will be eligible for the payment.

In an email sent to survivors of the institutions on Wednesday afternoon, the Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said: “I am pleased to notify you that the President yesterday signed into law the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023.

“Alongside the legislation, my department is working on the structures to deliver the scheme.

“This includes appointing a Chief Deciding Officer and staff for the scheme, establishing online application systems, rolling out trauma-informed training for staff and ensuring that all necessary communications, information, and application forms for applicants are in place.

“A number of months will be needed to transition to a live Scheme."

He also said it had come to his attention that legal firms are working with survivors on their applications for redress. Mr O’Gorman wrote: 

I do not anticipate that anybody needs to avail of such services as the application process will be straightforward and the responsibility to check for records lies with the Chief Deciding Officer, not the applicant.

“The legislation provides for the State to fund the costs of particular legal services that may be sought much later in the process.

“Those relate to the point in the process when an applicant is offered a payment under the Scheme and to very unusual instances where no, or incomplete, records are available.

“I am committed to delivering the Payment Scheme as quickly as possible and to keeping you updated on progress in this regard."

James Sugrue from Co Kerry, who was fostered out by theSstate, won’t be entitled to the compensation.

He along with others had pleaded with the government to make the scheme available to everyone who was affected by the state at that time.

He said it is “deeply unfair” to all those who had suffered.

Margaret Norton from Longford who was illegally adopted said: “It means nothing to me, I wasn’t even registered, I was passed through the window of a car in a hotel carpark. That means nothing to the State."

Anna Corrigan of the Tuam Babies Family Group said: “From my following of the issues the word disappointing springs to mind and that's an understatement."