Bethany Home redress
Mary Lou McDonald seeks inclusion of Bethany Home survivors in redress arrangements; the Tánaiste says the Government is examining the matter.
In the next session, Mr. Justice Quirke will come back with proposals for a redress scheme in respect of the women of the Magdalen laundries. The Tánaiste is aware that when these matters were debated in the Dáil, the Government gave a commitment to consider the case of the Bethany Home and its inclusion in the redress scheme or in some manner of redress for its survivors. State inspections of this home, under the Registration of Maternity Homes Act 1934, recorded horrendous abuse and neglect of children in the home. The Tánaiste is aware there are unmarked graves of over 200 children from this home in Mount Jerome Cemetery in Harold's Cross in Dublin. We cannot continue to ignore this group of survivors or to exclude them from redress. What is the Government's determination on this matter and what will be brought forward to remedy the situation?
Comment on this
There is no promised legislation on this, but the Government has been very clear that it is not ignoring and has not ignored the needs of people. In the case of the Magdalens, we published the report and responded to it. The Quirke process is now in place and we await its completion. An undertaking was given to look at the situation in regard to the Bethany Home and that is being done.