Over 12,900 cases completed under Birth Information and Tracing Act

Progress outlined in second Annual Report on Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions
First payments and medical cards issued under Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme
Planning application for Sean McDermott Street site to be submitted shortly

Over 12,900 applications have been completed under the Birth Information and Tracing Act since services commenced, with all applications now being processed within the statutory timeframes.

The figures are contained in the second Annual Report on implementation of the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, published today (12 June) by Minister Roderic O’Gorman.

The Annual Report details the progress made in delivering on the commitments set out in the Action Plan to respond to the priority needs of survivors and former residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. It demonstrates significant achievements in a number of areas including:

The opening of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme - The Payment Scheme opened to applications on 20 March 2024. The first offers of awards issued in April, while the first payments were made, and the first enhanced medical cards were issued, under the Scheme in May.
The appointment of the Special Advocate for Survivors – Following an open and extensive recruitment process by the Public Appointments Service, Ms Patricia Carey was appointed as Special Advocate for Survivors on 25 March 2024. The remit of the Special Advocate of Survivors is to amplify the voices of survivors of Industrial and Reformatory Schools, Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, as well as those who were adopted and boarded out.
Landmark information and tracing legislation – The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 has provided clear rights of access to identity information, with over 12,900 applications for information completed since services opened in October 2022. All applications are now being met within the statutory timeline.
Establishment of the Tuam Office - Following the enactment of the Institutional Burials Act 2022, the Minister established an independent Office to undertake the intervention at the Tuam site and appointed Mr Daniel MacSweeney as Director of the Office in May 2023.
National Centre for Research and Remembrance - The Government approved the Masterplan and preliminary business case for a national memorial- the National Centre for Research and Remembrance- in July 2023 and approved further key project documents in March 2024. An application for planning permission to progress the development of the Centre at the Sean McDermott Street site is currently being finalised for submission to Dublin City Council. The Office of Public Works has also begun the first phase of works to make the remaining buildings at the site safe to access and to facilitate future works. The first public consultation for the National Centre initiative was launched in July 2023. The report of that consultation has now been published and can be accessed at www.gov.ie/nationalcentre.

Speaking about the Annual Report, Minister O’Gorman said:

“It is heartening to see the Birth Information and Tracing Act delivering long-awaited information for so many people, and I would like to thank Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland for their efforts in this regard. Progress made on the site at Tuam, and the appointment of a Special Advocate for Survivors, demonstrate that the Government is delivering on its promises made to all those affected by Mother and Baby Institutions.

“I published the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions on behalf of Government in November 2021. Since then, we have worked intensively to deliver on the commitments made to survivors. I am pleased to be able to publish this second annual report detailing the meaningful progress we have achieved in that time, and to be in a position to say that six of the seven major commitments in the Action Plan have now been delivered, with great strides being made on the seventh, the National Centre for Research and Remembrance.”

Further information on the above, as well as updates on all of the actions contained in the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, is available in the summary here, and in the full report here.

Notes To Editor

Government published the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions on 16 November 2021. The aim of the Action Plan is to support the implementation of the commitments made by Government in January 2021 to respond to the priority needs and concerns of those who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Implementation of the Action Plan is overseen and monitored by the Minister and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). As set out in the Action Plan, DCEDIY will prepare a report annually on its implementation.

Given the importance of providing regular updates to survivors and former residents, this annual reporting is supplemented on an ongoing basis with regular updates to a dedicated mailing list. This includes detailed quarterly updates, as well as ad hoc updates to outline progress and developments in particular areas. Anyone who wishes to sign up in order to receive future updates can email motherandbabyhomes@equality.gov.ie and request to be added to the mailing list. The quarterly updates are also published on the DCEDIY website here.