Kathleen Funchion calls for inclusive redress scheme for survivors
Kathleen Funchion addressed a parliamentary debate on the redress scheme for people sent to institutions, welcoming that the motion was not opposed and urging constructive engagement. She called for an inclusive, fit-for-purpose scheme that recognises trauma and validates survivors' lived experiences.
Motion and ministerial response
The speaker welcomed that Ministers did not oppose the motion and said this reflected a public demand to work constructively. She urged the minister to show sincerity in co-operation and to use the opportunity to properly address long-standing issues that continue to harm people - noting that some are "literally dying" as the debate continues.
Experts' recommendations
Funchion highlighted a letter from clinical psychologists and therapeutic social workers asking for a revision of recommendations to include best practice guidelines on neuroscience, childhood trauma and attachment. She said these experts are willing to work alongside Government to shape legislation and the pre-legislative process, and praised those who made these proposals public.
Survivors' needs, medical cards and interim payments
The speech emphasised that survivors have experienced complex trauma and that financial redress must be accompanied by empathy and validation to avoid secondary traumatisation. She specifically raised the enhanced medical card issue, saying many women are re-traumatised when denied it, and reiterated support for examining interim payments as part of the redress response - noting similar considerations in the six counties' report.
Next steps and solidarity
Funchion urged that recommendations from trauma experts feed into the legislative process and said further statements and discussion were expected. She concluded by thanking supporters, expressing solidarity with survivors and their families, and calling for collective action so mothers, children and families are seen, heard and validated.
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Thanks very much. First of all, I want to thank everybody who was involved in the debate. I also welcome the fact that the motion is not being opposed. Genuinely, I think, Ministers, you have heard tonight that people do want to work constructively, and I think that is why we brought this motion forward, to highlight the issues, and I imagine it was the same for Government TDs that you were inundated as well, with people asking why they were excluded. from the scheme. Nobody, I do not believe that anybody, no matter whether you are in opposition or Government, wants to exclude anybody. So that is why we brought the motion forward, and I genuinely hope that there is sincerity when you say you want to work with us and you are not opposing the motion for that reason, because everybody wants a scheme that will suit and that is fit for purpose, and as I said earlier, this has to be the doll that finally deals with the issues, because we have been talking about them for so long, and people are literally dying as we are debating them. And I do want to reiterate what I said earlier, Minister, that I know a lot of this was left at your door by predecessors that were probably happy enough to leave it there, but you do now have, in a way, an opportunity to actually deal with it properly and constructively and listen to people. The letter was mentioned, the letter that was written to yourself on a number of occasions, and I do want to just read out, some of it was already read out, but I want to just read out this, these final two points, and I think that we should welcome that we have such experts that we can look to, particularly when this does come for, for the legislation and the pre-ledge process. I am hoping that people like this will feed into that, and that we can base this on some of their work, and I think it is excellent, as Deputy Connolly said, that they actually had the courage to come out with this at the weekend. So they say we are seeking a revision of the recommendations arising from the report, with inclusion of best practice guidelines regarding neuroscience, childhood trauma and attachment. We are willing to work alongside you to see these changes through and want to meaningfully contribute to better practices rather than simply criticism from the sidelines. One final point, these women and children have experienced complex trauma and adversity in their lives. Yes, the money will help, there is no doubt about it, but there is also an opportunity to right a wrong, to empathise at a human level and seek to understand. We want to minimise the risk of secondary traumatisation and invalidation of survivors and their families, which is most likely where experiences are not heard, respected and redressed. Fundamentally, it is about mothers, children and families being seen, heard and having their lived experiences validated. Collectively, we can surely strive for this, and I think that perfectly sums up what is trying to be achieved by this motion. And this is, it is obviously, you know, these are people who are clinical psychologists, therapeutic social workers, they are obviously working with children and understand trauma very well. And I do think we should take their suggestions on board, although I think everybody would agree this has to be inclusive. It should include all survivors and particularly around the medical card aspect, because an awful lot of women are re-traumatised by that, that they were really holding out and waiting for this enhanced medical card. And it is not right that they would be denied it. And I just want to reiterate in relation to interim payments, I do think that is something that should be looked at, and it is being examined in the six counties in relation to their report. So again, I just reiterate that, I believe there are statements again Thursday on this, so we will be discussing the topic again. Then I want to thank people for their support in relation to this, and I just want to, I suppose, send solidarity and support to all survivors that were sent to institutions, anybody that was born, their families, because I know that this re-traumatises them every time we talk about it, but it is important to raise the issues as well. And I just, I just, I am thinking of all of those people that I have met and that we all have met as well. So, thanks very much. Thank you very much, Kai Herlak.
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