Subject: letter to the Editor

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re. Redress: Breaking the Silence - If this letter could please be published by my mother's anniversary 11/03/2020 - thank you 
 

Dear Editor,

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Survivors of industrial schools, Magdalene laundries also mother and child institutions urge Government action

The charity ‘Christine Buckley Centre for Education and Support for Survivors of Institutional Abuse' has called on all political parties to ensure that the next Programme for Government includes an agreement to amend The Retention of Records Bill, so as to ensure all survivors have access to their records and to ensure that there is no further cover-up of abuse inflicted by members of religious orders, or any other abusers of any of the institutions in Ireland.

The charity centre also calls for an enhanced medical card for survivors of child abuse in industrial schools as well as survivors of Magdalene laundries and mother and child institutions.

Many survivors were forced into unpaid labour and their employers including the industrial schools, mother and baby institutions in addition to Magdalene laundries, ‘training centres for girls’ also ‘asylum refuges’ never submitted social welfare contributions. Consequently they may not may not receive their full pension entitlements. All such survivors should receive a full contributory pension.

Last August 2019, a report to the Department of Education and Skills identified the enhanced medical card also known as a Health Amendment Act Card (HAA) as a key priority for survivors. 

It was identified in a state-sponsored consultation with over 100 survivors of an estimated 12,000 former residents which found that many fear being re-institutionalised again in old age. An estimated 80% of survivors are aged over 58 and of those over half are over 70.

Top of their list were health, housing, social supports and having enough income to lead a dignified life.

The Minister for Education, Joe McHugh has acknowledged the need for clear proposals for action which he could bring to cabinet. That scoping report which his department commissioned has identified those proposals.

Given the age profile and health issues of survivors, many survivors could die unless they receive the treatment provided by the  (HAA) card.  

This card was introduced in 1996 to provide sufferers with Hepatitis C to access a wide variety of benefits to enable them to better cope with ongoing medical and health care needs. In particular it enables them to have home help care which would mean that they would not need to go to a nursing home and thus avoid being incarcerated in their later life and relive the traumas of their youth.

'Christine Buckley Centre for Education and Support for Survivors of Institutional Abuse' is the only Irish-based, dedicated, survivor-led charity venue, where survivors of institutional abuse are able to meet regularly, to get relevant advice also attain educational supports via an open access, volunteer-supported facility in central Dublin (Jervis Luas stop - red line).

Many former residents of industrial and reformatory schools, among other institutions, feel stigmatised because of the silence and shame which often surrounds their innocent incarceration in institutions during childhood and adolescence.

The report, known as the ‘Consultations with Survivors of Institutional Abuse on Themes And Issues to be addressed by a Survivor Led Consultation Group’, 

also called for funeral expenses to be covered; 

Free unlimited counselling service for survivors as long as they want it; Counselling and psychiatric services for children of survivors; Education supports for the children and grandchildren of survivors. Remembering Survivors (Memorials, commemorations etc.)

Other important recommendations include:

• Survivors who didn’t receive redress to be included in all free-services provision

• free and full Tracing Services for individuals wishing to find their families and relatives.

• Resettlement options and services for survivors who returned to or wish to return to Ireland

·        Acknowledgment of the extra burden of inequality experienced by some minority groups including travellers who were institutionalised, mixed-race survivors, protestant-institutions survivors, private-institutions survivors, in addition to other minority groups among many survivors of institutionalised abuse.

Yours Sincerely,

Cliona Buckley

Dublin

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PLEASE NOTE registered CHY referred to as CBC or formerly referred to as Aislinn Centre

(AHIA - Association for Healing Institutional Abuse)

is no longer based at Jervis House, Jervis Street, Dublin 1