Stormont urged to ‘move swiftly’ on public inquiry into mother and baby homes

The Stormont Executive has been urged to “move swiftly” on a public inquiry into mother and baby institutions, Magdalene Laundries and workhouses.

The Truth Recovery Independent Panel welcomed the introduction of a Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly to establish the probe and a redress scheme which passed its second stage earlier this week as a “significant step forward”.

The Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill is now set to be scrutinised by the Executive Office Committee.

More than 14,000 women and girls are thought to have passed through the institutions, with many found to have been mistreated, held against their will and forced to give up their children for adoption.

They were run by the Catholic Church, religious orders, some Protestant denominations as well as the State, with some in operation until 1995.

Panel co-chairs Professor Leanne McCormick and Professor Sean O’Connell hailed the “further step towards truth and acknowledgment following years of sustained advocacy by victims and survivors”.

They also urged the Executive to move swiftly to appoint a Chair for the public inquiry, and the appointment of those with lived experience of the institutions to the inquiry.

The panel also welcomed the Bill’s provision for a standardised payment redress scheme, alongside the commitment to establish a system of individualised payments.

However it expressed concern at the exclusion of women, and their children, now adults, admitted to workhouses before 1948, adding that this “elderly and relatively small cohort deserves recognition and justice”.

It also said it disagrees with the decision to limit posthumous awards to families of individuals who died after September 29, 2011, as it was “arbitrary and causing additional harm to families already affected”.

In a joint statement, Ms McCormick and Mr O’Connell said while they welcomed progress, they remain concerned at some omissions in the draft legislation.

“We welcome this next stage in what has been a long process for victims and survivors,” they said.

“It is because of their tireless work and campaigning that we arrive at this milestone, and we would like to pay tribute to their strength and perseverance over many years.

“Whilst we welcome much of the Bill’s provisions, we note with concern some omissions in the draft legislation including the exclusion of women, and their children, now adults, who were resident in workhouses before 1948, as well as the decision to limit posthumous awards to families of individuals who died after 29 September 2011.

“In our view, this date has no bearing on the broader scope of the Truth Recovery Programme.”

They added: “We acknowledge that many victims and survivors have raised similar concerns.

“As this legislation must now go through the legislative process at Stormont, we would encourage victims and survivors to make their views known to their local elected representatives and we would encourage MLAs at Stormont to listen to the voices of victims and survivors during this process.

“The panel’s work continues, and we are now writing our own report which will inform the work of the public inquiry once it is established.

“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks for those who have come forward to provide testimony and information to the panel during its term.

“All these contributions are critical to our final report and we are deeply grateful for those who have taken the time to so do.”