10 June 2015

The Minister for Justice and Equality today announced the commencement, from 1 July 2015, of the Redress for Women Who Were Resident in Certain Institutions Act 2015.

The primary purpose of this Act is to make provisions for a broad range of health services, which will be provided free of charge to the Magdalen Women. These services include:

· General Practitioner, medical and surgical services

· Drugs, medicines and surgical appliances

· Nursing services

· Home help services

· Dental, ophthalmic and aural services

· Counselling services

· Chiropody Services

· Physiotherapy services.

The Act also provides these women with exemption from charges for acute in-patient services.

Making the announcement the Minister stated: “The Government has given its commitment to fully implementing all of the recommendations made by Mr. Justice Quirke in his report on the Magdalen Laundries. I am therefore very pleased to announce the commencement of this Act. With effect from 1^st of July the Magdalen Women will receive all of the medical services recommended by Mr. Justice Quirke, as promised by the Government.”

 

In addition, the Act provides that payments made to the women arising from a scheme of ex-gratia payments will not be included in any financial assessment of means under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009.

The Act is just one part of a suite of services that the Government is providing to the Magdalen women. Additional services being provided:

· The scheme of ex-gratia payments to women who were in these institutions provides that the women are eligible for a payment of between €11,500 and €100,000 depending on the length of stay. To date, decisions have been made on 86% of applications out of 776 received so far. €18 million has been paid out to date.

· Pension-type top up payments of up to €100 weekly, if under pension age, and up to €230.30 weekly when aged 66 or over depending on other State payments. These payments are already being made by the Department of Social Protection.

· The women are already covered by section 21 (appointment of a care representative) under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. Judge Quirke recommended provision for a mechanism whereby a person can be appointed to act in the best interests of a woman where she lacks capacity. This is being done through the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Bill 2014.

· The Minister for Health has also agreed that, given the wide variation of different health systems internationally, access to equivalent medical services for participants living abroad will be dealt with on an administrative basis by the HSE, as appropriate to the specific circumstances of the individual and the country of residence and its health system.

ENDS