Mother and baby home victim says Executive should 'hang their heads in shame' over new proposals

A survivor of mother and baby institutions here says that the First and Deputy First ministers should 'hang their heads in shame' over Stormont legislation to establish an inquiry and redress scheme.
More than 14,000 pregnant women and girls passed through the secretive institutions, with many found to have been mistreated, held against their will and forced to give up children for adoption.
A bill to establish an inquiry into mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses - and an associated redress scheme - passed its first stage in the Stormont Assembly on Monday.The proposals are expected to cost around £80 million.
Adele Johnston who was born in a home and later sent to one when she was a pregnant teenager says those affected haven't been listened to and the Department needs to go back to the drawing board.Speaking of her experience in the homes she said: "It was very demeaning and demoralizing.
"We were made to work, we were made to feel that we were unworthy, unfit, that we weren't fit to look after a child and that, the best place for a child was to be adopted."
She had high hopes for Stormont proposals to deal with this dark period of our past, but feels let down after a meeting with the First and Deputy First Ministers on Monday.
"We didn't expect all that we asked, but we did not expect it to be so brutal and it was brutal.
"We were corralled into one meeting and we were dealt one body blow after another.
"And we feel very badly let down by the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the TEO.
"Actually, they need to hang their heads in shame for what they done yesterday."Concerns have been expressed that 'huge swathes' of potential applicants to a long awaited redress scheme are set to be excluded.They were run by the Catholic Church, religious orders, some Protestant denominations as well as the State, with some in operation until 1995.First Minister Michelle O'Neill said they hope the legislation 'demonstrates our sincere commitment to respecting and fulfilling the wishes of those who for many decades have suffered and been silenced'.The Executive Bill is to establish a statutory public inquiry and a statutory redress scheme at an estimated cost of £80 million, which includes almost £60 million in initial redress payments to cover about 6,600 claims.Each eligible claimant is to 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 September 29, 2011.A further Individually Assessed Payment (IAP) for the specific harm suffered by an individual is to follow the public inquiry.The ministers also met with survivors of the institutions on Monday.However some who attended the meeting expressed concern over those who are excluded by the proposals.The legal firm KRW Law, which represents many of the victims and survivors, described 'huge disquiet over the prospective exclusion of many survivors'.They said the cut-off for posthumous claims for deceased birth mothers and children of 2011 'cuts out a huge swathe of prospective applicants', while victims of work houses appear to be excluded, and the 'blanket removal' of foster care home survivors.There is also concern around the limit on the sum proposed by way of interim payment with no allowance for inflation.Solicitor Aine Rice, of KRW's historic abuse team, said they reject the current proposals as 'unfit for purpose'.She said: 'So much work has been put in by many people to get to this stage only for it to be undone in one fell swoop.'There's an insensitivity underpinning all of this which makes it galling.'We reject the current proposals as unfit for purpose. More, much more, needs done to address the imbalance in play here. We need to see a complete U-turn by the time we reach the next stage of the Bill, but time is running out fast.'We are told that many are thinking of leaving the consultation forum and threatening protest.'Institution survivor Marie Arbuckle said the latest proposals are a 'kick in the teeth for many survivors'.She added: 'It seems to me that the Government hasn't listened to us properly at all.'Why do a consultation in the first place if the wishes and hopes of survivors aren't taken on board?'I don't think lessons have been learned from what happened in the south of Ireland.'The understandable drive to save money has simply gone too far, and all at the expense of the wishes of victims.'We have lost all confidence in the process we worked so hard on for the last three years.'

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Leaders on both sides of the border urge completion of Casement Park

Leader Live

14 hours ago

Leader Live

Leaders on both sides of the border urge completion of Casement Park

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said that it is now time for all those involved to sit around the table and find a way to start and complete the project. Irish premier Micheal Martin said the opportunity to build the stadium should 'be seized', while deputy premier Simon Harris warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'. Earlier this month, a UK Government pledge of £50 million for the development of the west Belfast GAA stadium was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review. However, that pledge still leaves the project far from its funding target under current plans. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium at the site have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap. Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated cost spiralled in the interim. Speaking at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Armagh, Ms O'Neill said it is time for all partners to 'find a way to complete' Casement Park. Ms O'Neill said: 'We all have a role in making sure we get to that point.' Asked if the GAA should reconsider the plans for the west Belfast stadium development based on existing commitments for funding, Ms O'Neill said the stadium is now more expensive than if it had been built 'a long time ago'. She said the delays were due to a 'whole plague of problems' including planning and political issues. She said the redevelopment would bring 'major social and economic benefits'. Ms O'Neill added that Casement Park is an Executive flagship project. 'We now know what the pot of funding that we have on the table, but now it's time for all partners involved to get together and sit around the table and find a way now to complete and start the work on the project and to complete the project,' she added. 'I think we all have a role to play in terms of making sure we get to that point. 'But I think it's now time that we now know and understand the quantum of funding, that we now sit down together and actually work out the next step.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it is 'now over to the GAA' to set out their expectations on their own contribution to the west Belfast stadium and any potential revisions to the development. She said there was a 'significant amount of need' in other sporting areas across the region with other facilities also needing to be upgraded. She added: 'We need to do so with fairness and equity. 'They are sitting on, I think, approximately £161 or £162 million worth of public spending. 'It's now over to the GAA to decide can they cut their coat according to their cloth, or what their expectations are in relation to their own contribution.' She added that the GAA can 'do a huge amount' with existing funding commitments for Casement Park, and that the GAA should indicate what its contribution increase should be. Mr Martin said the Irish Government had given a 'very substantial' allocation to the project. 'I believe the prospect really exists for a stadium to be agreed and built and this is an opportunity that should be seized in a practical and realistic way.' Mr Harris said the recent UK funding announcement was a 'huge step forward' for the project. He said the Irish Government stands ready to assist the project and warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'.