Survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools will be offered a State apology by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Mr Martin has agreed to make a formal apology in Dáil Éireann, after the Government agreed to a new package of supports for those who survived abuse in industrial and reformatory schools.
It came after a group of survivors spent 51 days on hunger strike outside Leinster House last year, protesting against what they described as a lack of support from the Government.
The group of survivors ended their protest in November after Mr Martin agreed to offer them new supports.
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The group had said that it wanted the Government to provide them with Health Amendment Act (HAA) medical cards to cover a range of medical issues. They also want full contributory State pensions in acknowledgment of the work they had to carry out while growing up in industrial schools and reformatories.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of An Taoiseach said it had “agreed a package of additional supports for survivors of institutional abuse following a successful mediation process”.
After the hunger strike ended, a mediator was appointed and Mr Martin committed in principle to offer the survivors financial assistance, priority access for social housing and a range of healthcare supports.
The statement from Mr Martin’s department said the new supports offered to survivors “will build upon supports already provided for under the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 and will include supports for health; education; housing and funeral costs”.
[ Mother and baby home survivors receive €75.7m in redress, less than 10% of budgetOpens in new window ]
“In addition, the Taoiseach has agreed to make a formal apology in Dáil Éireann on behalf of the Government and will continue to consult with the Attorney General in this regard.
“The apology will build on the 1999 apology to victims of institutional abuse; take into consideration parts of the 2021 apology to survivors of mother and baby homes, and will address issues relating to criminal records. The date for the apology will be scheduled as soon as possible.”
