Mother and baby homes redress
During Leaders’ Questions, Deputy McDonald criticised the 180-day rule in the redress scheme and asked if this was the Taoiseach’s last Leaders’ Questions. The Taoiseach said the scheme must get under way, and Ms McDonald urged him to fix the flaws.
Tá mé ag bogadh ar aghaidh anois go dtí ceisteanna ar pholasaí an Rialtais nó reachtaíocht atá geallta.
Comment on this
I will return to the redress scheme that opened today for those who experienced trauma in mother and baby homes and county homes. I acknowledge that redress comes in many forms and it is not all about financial recognition. However, trauma also comes in many forms and the largest design flaw in this scheme is the 180-day rule. It has been correctly described as a real insult to many victims. Some 24,000 people are excluded for one reason or another from this redress scheme. I have been informed that this is perhaps the Taoiseach's last Leaders' Questions. Is that correct?
Comment on this
I did not realise that this was the case so I, therefore, wish the Taoiseach well. I wish above all else that on this issue, the Government might reconsider and put those flaws to right.
Comment on this
The main thing for us to get the scheme up and running. It has been far too long in coming. It is open to applications from today and we are very keen to implement it, press ahead with the other measures such as the remembrance centre, memorialisation and the medical cards and get what has been agreed by Government and the House operational as soon as possible.