Controversial mother and baby home redress scheme opens

Teddys and toys along with flowers at the 'Little Angels' memorial plot in the grounds of Bessborough House in Blackrock, Cork. Picture: Laura Hutton/RollingNews.ie

The long-awaited and controversial mother and baby home redress scheme opens on Wednesday, with up to 34,000 people expected to apply for compensation.

However, another 25,000 will not be eligible for the payment because of the criteria set down in law.

It comes after a State apology in 2021 over the suffering of women and children who were incarcerated in mother and baby homes, because they were pregnant outside marriage.

The redress scheme — the largest in the history of the State — will cost €800m. However, it does not include people who were boarded out.

Adoptees who were in an institution for less than six months will also not be eligible for the payment.

The decision to exclude these survivors has caused uproar among the community and the Department of Children has received dozens of communications over the issue.

Several politicians have hit out at the decision to exclude some survivors, including Sinn Fein’s spokesperson on children Kathleen Funchion.

She said: “The exclusion of infants who spent less than six months in a mother and baby or county home from accessing an enhanced medical card or redress demonstrates to me that survivors have not been listened to.”

'Callous'

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said it was “callous” of the Government to introduce such an “arbitrary” rule. If the situation was not so serious “it would be laughable”, she said.

Kerry man James Sugrue will not receive compensation because he was boarded out. He recently told the Irish Examiner he was “deeply upset” and found the eligibility process “deeply unfair”.

While Margaret Norton, who was illegally adopted by Monaghan GP Irene Creedon, will also not receive a payment.

Applications are open online on Wednesday at the Department of Children, or applicants can call the offices and request a hard copy.

To be eligible for a payment an applicant must have stayed:

• For at least one night, as a mother;
• For reasons relating to pregnancy, or the birth or care of a child;
• For at least 180 days, as a child.

There is also a second payment for those who worked in the homes for more than 90 days for reasons relating to their pregnancy, or the birth or care of their child.

The payment scheme provides financial payments and health supports to eligible people who spent time in mother and baby and county home institutions in Ireland.

It is a key element of the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions.

The Department of Children said the quickest and easiest way to apply is to do so online by visiting gov.ie/paymentscheme.

For those who wish to apply using a hard copy of the application form, this can be downloaded from the website, or applicants can request a copy by post by phoning the Payment Scheme Office helpline at [phone].