THE UPCOMING PUBLIC inquiry into mother and baby homes and related institutions in Northern Ireland must learn from the mistakes of the Commission of Investigation in the Republic, one survivor has said.
A 12-week public consultation process was launched today ahead of the establishment of a long-awaited public inquiry in the North.
Members of the public have until 19 September to give their views on what the inquiry should cover, and how a related financial redress scheme should work.
A number of online and in-person information sessions will take place in the coming weeks.
Survivors have welcomed the development, describing it as “a crucial milestone”.
Maria Arbuckle, who spent time in institutions in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, called on as many people as possible to take part in the consultation process.
“Anyone involved in these institutions, either directly or if they had a family member in these places, should all get involved in it, and write in exact how they feel about it,” she told The Journal today.
The Republic’s redress scheme opened in March and, as of earlier this month, some 3,600 people had applied. The average payment made to survivors to date is €31,000.
Around 34,000 people are eligible to apply for redress under this particular scheme. However, some 24,000 survivors are excluded including those who spent less than six months in an institution as a child.
A number of people are considering legal action over their exclusion from the scheme, as previously reported by The Journal.
Arbuckle – who was reunited with her son after 40 years apart – said the inquiry in the North must take a more inclusive approach and not repeat the same “mistakes”.
“All survivors should be entitled to redress, including people who spent time in workhouses and people who were fostered,” Arbuckle said.
“They can’t do what the South did,” she added.
A public inquiry was first promised in Northern Ireland in 2021, after Stormont accepted the recommendations made by an expert panel.
Once it’s up and running, the inquiry will investigate mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries and workhouses which operated in the North. Research has indicated that more than 14,000 women and girls passed through those institutions between 1922 and 1990.
Earlier this week, First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she hopes the draft Bill for the public inquiry and redress scheme will be introduced in the Assembly before the end of this year.
O’Neill made a statement to the Assembly on Tuesday on behalf of herself and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
“We have spoken directly to survivors and we know that they still suffer the trauma of their appalling experiences, a trauma that was only ever made worse by years of being ignored whenever they sought the justice that they deserved,” she told MLAs.
I’m sure we can all agree that they have waited for far too long and we all want to play our part to address the most difficult and shameful part of our past.
Sime survivors spoke to O’Neill and Little-Pengelly via a video call earlier this week.
The steering group of the Truth Recovery Northern Ireland (TRNI), a group consisting mainly of people who spent time in these institutions as a mother or child, said both ministers have said they are “committed to supporting victims and survivors who have campaigned tirelessly to reach this point”.
“The launch of a 12-week public consultation to establish the focus of a public inquiry and an all-inclusive redress scheme is a crucial milestone in the deliverance of full truth and acknowledgment for all affected, including those sadly no longer here to have their veil of undeserved shame lifted to see their justice delivered.
“We look forward to positive engagement with all involved,” the group added.
Separately, the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) has launched a public consultation process to inform the development of its new strategic plan to cover the period 2025–2027.
Anyone wishing to take part in this process, which is accepting submissions until 15 July, can read more information here.
Contains reporting from Press Association
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say