Victor Boyhan on Religious Responses to Mother and Baby Scheme
Victor Boyhan criticised the responses of religious organisations to negotiations under the Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme. He outlined the findings of a report published by the Minister for Children and Disability and Equality and called for a parliamentary debate on the redress scheme.
Report publication and summary
The Minister for Children and Disability and Equality published a report on negotiations with religious organisations linked to the Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme. The report, led by independent negotiator Ms. Sheila Noonan who also engaged with the former minister, is available on government.ie.
Offers received and government decisions
Only three of the eight contacted bodies made any offer. The Sisters of the Bon Secours offered a cash contribution of £12.97 million, which the Government agreed to accept. The George Society of St. Vincent de Paul offered a building, which the Government asked the Minister to consider and to engage further with the congregation about. The Sisters of St. John of God offered a conditional donation of £75,000 to be used for a charitable purpose associated with the scheme.
Organisations contacted and non-contributors
The Government wrote to eight bodies listed in the report. Those named in the speech are the Congregation of Lady of a Good Shepherd, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the Sisters of the Bonds Occurs, the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of St. John of God, the Legion of Mary, and the Church of Ireland representative Church Body of Ireland. The remaining organisations did not offer any contribution.
Concerns raised and request for debate
Victor Boyhan thanked the Minister for publishing the report but said it raised very serious concerns about both the religious organisations' responses and the Government's handling of the redress scheme. He requested that, at an appropriate time, the Minister and the Schedule Leader arrange a debate on the issue.
Implications for the redress scheme
The speech focuses on transparency of negotiation outcomes and the next steps in considering offers - including a sizeable cash offer, a building, and a small conditional donation - alongside the wider concern over bodies that did not contribute. The request for a debate signals a push for further scrutiny and parliamentary discussion of the report and redress arrangements.
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Today, the Minister for Children and Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, published a report on negotiations with religious organisations associated with the Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme. Ms. Sheila Noonan was her independent negotiator who was tasked to lead these negotiations with these religious organisations, then was very much involved with our former Minister, Minister Roderick O'Gorman. She engaged with eight religious bodies, which is all clearly said out in the report, of which there will be a copy, is a copy now on the government.ie website since this afternoon. On foot of these engagements, only one body, the Sisters of the Bon Secours, offered a cash contribution of £12.97 million, which is in line, quote, with the negotiator's determination for a meaningful contribution. The Government has agreed to accept this contribution. Another body, the George Society of St. Vincent de Paul, offered to contribute a building. Government has agreed that the Minister should consider the offer of this building and engage further with the congregation in relation to it. The third body, only the third body, the Sisters of St. John of God's, offered a conditional donation of £75,000 towards the contribution, to be used as a charitable donation towards a charitable purpose associated with the Mother and Baby Scheme. The remaining bodies did not offer any contribution. So to be sure and to clarify, there is no misunderstanding. The Government wrote these eight bodies and I call them out now. The Congregation of Lady of a Good Shepherd. The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The Sisters of the Bonds Occurs, the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of St. John of God, the Legion of Mary, and indeed, and one that I am glad to see on this list, although disappointed with their response, the Church of Ireland representative Church Body of Ireland. So clearly there are major issues, so what I am asking, this is a very important report. I want to thank the Minister for publishing it today, but it raises very, very serious concerns in relation to the religious, but also the Government's response to addressing the redress scheme and I would ask at a time that is appropriate to the Minister and your Schedule Leader that we might have a debate on this particular issue. Thank you.
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