490. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration will be given to providing a redress mechanism for persons who were boarded out as children and who are not eligible for existing redress schemes, including the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and the engagement has taken place with representatives of boarded-out survivors regarding their exclusion from existing schemes. [66447/26]

The Government apology to survivors of institutional abuse, delivered by the Taoiseach in the Dáil on 25 February this year, acknowledged the suffering experienced by those who were abused while boarded out.

The intention of the boarded-out system was to provide family homes for children who would otherwise be in an institution. It is important to note that some did find loving homes and went on to live full and happy lives. However, others suffered terrible abuse and have felt the impact of that abuse right throughout their lives. Those life-long impacts are acknowledged in the Apology.

Redress can take different forms. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality oversees the delivery of the Government Action Plan for Survivors of Mother and Baby Institutions. This Action Plan provides support and acknowledgement to those who were boarded out as children in the following ways:

- access to birth and early life information,

- counselling services,

- the appointment of the Special Advocate, and

- the ongoing development of a National Centre for Research and Remembrance which will stand as a national site of conscience and honour equally those who spent time and suffered in institutions or had experience of the historical systems of boarding out or adoption.

In addition, the Action Plan also includes the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which provides payments and medical benefits to eligible survivors based on time spent in an institution rather than evidence of abuse. Some individuals who were boarded out from these institutions as children may be eligible for the Scheme.

Any additional redress measures relating to those who were boarded out from all manner of institutional settings would be a matter for wider Government.

I have previously met with survivors who have experience of the boarding out system, and I continue to welcome their views and engagement, including a meeting in July with one survivor together with the Special Advocate for Survivors.

In addition, on 1 January 2026 survivors were appointed to the Steering Group for the National Centre for Research and Remembrance following an expression of interest process that ran during August and September 2025. The survivor members are full members of the Steering Group, alongside the Special Advocate for Survivors and members from Government departments and agencies.

Survivor members have also been appointed to the Special Advocate’s Advisory Council made up of 7 pillars each representing a specific area of institutional abuse and/or family separation, including a pillar for those who were boarded out.

I would like to thank survivors and former residents for their continued engagement with the Department and the Special Advocate.  It is only through ongoing engagement that we can ensure the voices of survivors continue to be a central input in Government deliberations which affect them.