This week we learned that the religious orders involved in mother and baby homes have no intention of contributing to the redress scheme. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, continues to stand over the flawed commission's report, which absolved the church of any responsibility. The State and church perpetuated some of the worst human rights abuses in our history, including illegal adoptions, illegal vaccine trials, mass graves and the abuse of children. The Government remains deferential to the church instead of pursuing it to offer some form of compensation to survivors. We also learned the Government's redress scheme will exclude many of the survivors, no doubt with input from the Minister's Department, which was more concerned with costs than justice. The Government is intentionally giving as little as possible to as small a number of survivors as possible, while allowing the religious orders that profited from these crimes off scot-free.

To keep the record clear, I have met with seven religious congregations or lay organisations, and the leaders of the Church of Ireland, in seeking a meaningful and significant response from them on redress. Those negotiations are ongoing at present. There has been no conclusion in those engagements.

As the Deputy said, yesterday we brought forward the final redress Bill, which allows for a scheme that will cover 34,000 individuals, recognising the major impacts that mother and baby homes have had on Irish society. It is hoped we will bring that legislation to the House in the next two weeks, and pass it rapidly through the Houses, so those 34,000 individuals can avail of financial payments and 19,000 individuals can receive enhanced medical cards.