Northern Ireland's Executive Office will launch a public consultation on proposals to establish a statutory Public Inquiry and a Financial Redress Scheme for those affected by Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries, Workhouses, and their pathways and practices, First Minister Michelle O'Neill told the Assembly on Tuesday, June 25.
The consultation, which will be launched this week, will help shape the legislation necessary to set up the Inquiry to establish answers to what happened, why it happened, and who was responsible.
Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, O'Neill said: "We want to avoid mistakes of the past where victims and survivors were required to wait for too many years before they could access financial redress.
"That is why this scheme will provide for a more immediate and standardised payment initially.
"A further individually assessed payment will be made available following the work of the Inquiry."
She continued: "We hope to see the draft Bill to establish the Public Inquiry and Financial Redress Schemes introduced in the Assembly before the end of this year.
"The consultation will run for a period of twelve weeks and involve a series of online and in-person events. These events will allow those affected to ask questions, gain a better view of the proposals, and help them to contribute.
"We would encourage everyone who has an interest in the shape of the Inquiry and Redress Scheme to get involved. This includes those directly or indirectly affected by the institutions; members of statutory and non-statutory organisations; health and social care professionals; and the general public.
"All views expressed as part of the consultation will be fully considered before finalising the draft Bill.
"The Bill will be brought to the Executive for its agreement before being introduced in this Assembly."
Sharing a clip of her comments in the Assembly on Tuesday, O’Neill said: “These women and their children have been silenced for too long.
"They will never be silenced again.”
This is a landmark day as a Redress Scheme and Public Inquiry into Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries, and Workhouses is a step closer.
This week, the Executive Office will launch a public consultation to listen to the voices of victims, their families, and… pic.twitter.com/HD9A0tchf2
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) June 25, 2024
In January 2021 - on the Research Report on Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland was published - the Northern Ireland Executive agreed to an independent investigation into the region’s Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries.
The research report, which runs more than 500 pages long, considers Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes, both Catholic and Protestant, in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1990 and features oral testimonies from survivors and staff.
During the period, around 10,500 women were admitted to Mother and Baby institutions and around 3,000 women were admitted to Magdalene Laundries.
There were "strong similarities" with the experience of women examined in the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, which was published in the Republic of Ireland earlier that month.
Around a third of women admitted to the Mother and Baby Homes in Northern Ireland were aged under 19 and most were aged from 20-29. The youngest was 12, and the oldest was 44.
The overwhelming factor in admissions to Mother and Baby Homes, according to the research report, was familial pressure. A number of females entered Mother and Baby Homes as the result of a sexual crime, including incest, rape, or unlawful carnal knowledge.
The girls and women who entered into the Mother and Baby Homes examined in the report were admitted by families, doctors, priests, and state agencies. They were required to undertake tough chores late into pregnancy, and they had little preparation for childbirth.
The report’s research clearly shows that a significant number of children, born to mothers resident in Mother and Baby Homes in Northern Ireland at the time of their birth, were adopted by families in the Republic of Ireland, other parts of the UK, or in the US. The report said further work would be required to conclusively determine the legality or otherwise of adoptions of children born in mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.
While the last Magdalene Laundry in Northern Ireland closed in 1984, the last Mother and Baby institution in the region closed in 1990.
Later in 2021, the Northern Ireland Executive agreed to the Truth Recovery Design Panel’s recommendations.
The first phase of the investigation has already begun with the appointment of the Truth Recovery Independent Panel in April 2023. The Panel published an Interim Report in May 2024.
There is specialist support for victims and survivors through the Victims and Survivors Service.
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