TDs must amend Mother and Baby Homes redress scheme – Guirke

Sinn Féin TD for Meath West Johnny Guirke has urged all TDs to back Sinn Fein’s cross-party motion to reform the Mother and Baby Homes redress scheme to meet survivors’ needs.

The Private Member’s Bill will be debated in the Dáil this evening at 18:15.

Speaking today, Deputy Guirke said:

“I am urging all TDs to back our cross-party motion and respect survivors and their families.

“The Mother and Baby Homes Redress Scheme has totally failed to meet the needs of survivors. Far too many survivors are excluded by the scheme’s criteria, including people who were ‘boarded out’.

“The current scheme is an insult to survivors and totally fails to take into account their needs. This isn’t good enough. This government has failed survivors time and time again. This has to stop.

“The motion being brought before the Dáil tonight stands with survivors and calls on the government to change the redress scheme to be fairer to them. The motion has cross-party support among the opposition.

“The motion would ensure the government must urgently review the scheme’s time-based criteria, exclusion of children who were boarded out, access to the enhanced Medical Card, proposed payment rates and end the unfair exclusion of some survivors and institutions.

“It also calls on the Government to seek immediate and substantive recourse from religious orders and pharmaceutical companies to contribute to the redress scheme.

“Tonight, TDs have a chance to put this right and show survivors the respect they deserve, Kind words of sympathy are not enough, survivors need to see politicians show leadership and deliver for them.

“I am calling on all TDs to back this cross-party motion and do right by survivors this evening. It is long overdue that they be respected and that their needs are met.”