The First Minister and deputy First Minister have introduced draft legislation to establish an Inquiry into Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses; and an associated redress scheme.
Ministers spoke to victims and survivors and thanked them for their campaign for justice. The campaign for truth, justice and acknowledgement for those impacted was born out of the tireless and courageous efforts of victims and survivors who have publicly lobbied The Executive Office since 2013 and continue to do so.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “Today we have introduced legislation to establish an Inquiry into Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses; and an associated redress scheme. These institutions and practices were a product of systemic misogyny. The regime inflicted on women and girls, many while heavily pregnant, was appalling and constituted cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Today, we also must also acknowledge that not only did women have their rights grossly denied within these institutions, so too did their children, now adults. They too were failed on every level.
“We hope this legislation demonstrates our sincere commitment to respecting and fulfilling the wishes of those who for many decades have suffered and been silenced. We want to thank those all who have long campaigned for justice and for all their assistance in helping us to reach this point.”
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “We deeply regret the pain and suffering of victims and survivors and today is a testament to their courage as we introduce this important and significant legislation. We know how long they have waited for answers and I hope they see this legislation as an important stage in the process as we seek to uncover the truth and hold those responsible to account.
“We remain committed to addressing this dark period of our past and we want to encourage everyone affected to come forward and be heard.”
The Executive Office has stated The Bill will establish a statutory public inquiry and a statutory redress scheme.
The estimated cost is £80million, which includes almost £60m in initial redress payments to cover approximately 6,600 redress claims. Each eligible person will receive a payment of £10,000 and a £2,000 payment will be made to each eligible family member on behalf of a loved one who has died since 29 September 2011.
A further Individually Assessed Payment (IAP) for the specific harm suffered by an individual will follow the public inquiry.
Andrew Walker, CEO Victims and Survivors Service said:
“VSS will continue to work with our community partners, WAVE Trauma Centre and Adopt NI to support those impacted. I would encourage anyone who needs support to contact us at the Victims and Survivors Service.”
Call us 028 90 311 678 or email us support@vssni.org