Residential Institutions
Seanad Éireann — 2025-10-14
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Sarah O'Reilly (AON), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to speak on this important issue. I am deeply concerned about what has been going on for three weeks outside of the gates of Leinster House. As we speak here, there are four survivors of industrial and reformatory schools camping outside the gates on hunger strike, one man and three women who suffered abuse in institutions run or sanctioned by the State and have lived for decades carrying the effects of that abuse. They are making a stand. I am worried for their welfare. One of the women has developed a chest infection and is on antibiotics. Despite this, they are still committed to their cause and show no signs of giving up. There has been little movement from the Government on this. I am aware that these vulnerable people are essentially being left out in the cold, but they are not for giving up.
Legislation is not set in stone, but the Government is using that assertion in some of its letters to the victims. The Government amends and introduces new legislation all the time. This is not a viable argument against helping people who were failed so badly in the past. These survivors are among the most vulnerable in our society. Their asks are small, but the signal it would send is significant - that the State takes its responsibilities seriously even decades later. They are asking for limited support, namely, a contributory pension and Health (Amendment) Act, HAA, card. These are not extravagant demands. They are practical measures that would give survivors some dignity, security and recognition that the State acknowledges its own failures. Does the Government have any plans to address these concerns? What will it do to bring an end to this hunger strike?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-10-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:13+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-14