Zappone defends decision not to open redress scheme to those in Mother and Baby Homes

Breaking News
April 12, 2017

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/zappone-defends-decision-not-to-open-redress-scheme-to-those-in-mother-and-baby-homes-785538.html

The children's minister is defending the decision not to open the residential institutions redress scheme to those in Mother and Baby Homes.

Katherine Zappone says there is so far no finding of abuse or neglect from the Commission of Investigation into the homes.

The minister has told the Dáil it would be premature to deal with the issue of redress at this time.

"This Government is conscious that the Commission has made no findings today regarding abuse or neglect, and believes it would not be appropriate to deal with the question of redress in advance of any conclusions on this issue by the Commission."

Adoption groups have hit out the Government's "dishonest dismissal" of immediate redress to those who were unaccompanied by their mothers in Mother and Baby Homes, writes Conall Ó Fátharta.

The Coalition of Mother and Baby Homes Survivors (CMABS) said that, although the report is to be "largely welcomed", sections of it were "disappointing and hurtful".

Spokesperson Paul Redmond hit out at the decision not to immediately offer redress to people who were unaccompanied as children in Mother and Baby Homes.

"Minister Zappone's refusal is immoral, repulsive and cold hearted at this time when it is clear that all this refusal does is kick the can down the road while waiting for more and more elderly survivors to die. Clearly money means more to Zappone and this Government than any sense of common decency or morality," he said.

Mr Redmond said CMABS has lobbied long and hard for two fundamental issues - an immediate acknowledgment, apology and redress, alongside the full inclusion of all survivors of the forced separation of single mothers and their babies since the foundation of the state.