GE2024 Niall Mc Creanor

Do you support a change to the current Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme to include all survivors?

Yes, I support an amendment to the legislation for more inclusive redress

If elected to office, what commitments will you make to address these ongoing exclusions to survivors?;

Dear CLANN Research Group, Thank you for your email and for raising such an important issue. As a candidate for the Social Democrats, I strongly support efforts to expand the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme to ensure that all survivors of Ireland’s forced family separation system are given the recognition and redress they deserve. The Social Democrats believe in upholding human rights and social justice, and this issue is no exception. Commitment to Expanding the Scheme: I fully support the expansion of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme to ensure everyone who suffered abuse as a result of forced family separation is included. The current exclusions are deeply unjust and do not adequately reflect the full scope of the trauma experienced by those affected, particularly those separated before the age of six months or placed in foster care, boarding out, or adoption systems. The Social Democrats are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind. This includes supporting the inclusion of survivors who were part of the illegal vaccine trials, those who faced racial or disability-based discrimination, and individuals who were subjected to illegal expatriation outside the state for adoption. We believe that all experiences of abuse should be acknowledged. The exclusion of survivors who had already received compensation under the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme is also unacceptable, as it fails to address the deeply traumatic experience of forced family separation, which should be recognized independently of other forms of abuse. Commitment to Ending Injustice: I agree that the scheme should be revised to ensure that the healthcare needs of survivors are met, including providing an enhanced medical card to all those affected by institutionalisation, regardless of the length of time they were institutionalised.