Redress payments for baby home survivors urged in North

Northern Ireland deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill told the Stormont Assembly that women who should have been shown "love, sympathy, and kindness were instead isolated and excluded".

The North's deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill has confirmed that the executive has accepted all recommendations from an expert panel on investigating the mistreatment of women and children in mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries.

The Stormont-commissioned experts recommended a public inquiry and non-statutory independent panel to allow those who were sent to the institutions, and their families, to give testimony in a less adversarial format.

Urgent redress payments for survivors at the outset of the twin-track investigatory process was also recommended, as was legislation to ensure access to the records of the institutions under scrutiny.

Outlining the executive's next steps, Ms O'Neill told the Stormont Assembly that women who should have been shown "love, sympathy, and kindness were instead isolated and excluded".

"Suffering was compounded on suffering," she said. "Let's call this out for what it was. 

"Abuse. Violation. Women and girls who had done no wrong — punished for becoming pregnant outside marriage, punished for being victims of rape and incest, humiliated, subjected to forced labour, robbed of their babies, denied the truth." 

It was wrong on every level.

Ms O'Neill said the executive would be pressing ahead with some of the recommendations immediately, including work to establish the non-statutory independent panel within the next six months.

However, she said it would not be possible to advance legislation to set up the public inquiry until the new assembly mandate next year.

She said discussions with HMRC and the Treasury would commence on the redress package.

"Unequivocal acceptance and full implementation of the (expert) panel's recommendations is the very least we can do for victims and survivors," she said.

"The age profile of the victims and survivors means we cannot afford to delay progress for one day longer — many are likely to be in their 70s and their adult children in their 50s, and sadly some are no longer with us.

"They have waited for too long. And we are not going to stand by and allow them to wait any longer."

Ms O'Neill said victims were one step closer to getting to the truth that had been denied them for decades.

I believe that this is a watershed moment for the women and adult children of mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and of workhouses.

"And we must remember that this will be a difficult and emotional day for many," she said.

"Our thoughts are very much with all the victims and survivors, who were so grievously failed, and have lived for many years with the unimaginable pain and trauma inflicted on them.

"Their needs are our absolute priority. It has been a long and arduous journey, but today they are one step closer to getting the truth that has been denied to them for decades.

"Today, we stand united in support for all victims and survivors. And I want to send a very clear message that we will do everything in our power to ensure you get the truth, justice and redress you deserve."