Current exclusion policies applied to institutional abuse redress schemes are creating a hierarchy of survivors, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins, who is the party\u2019s education spokesperson, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands of survivors continue to face barriers to recognition and support because of arbitrary eligibility rules and exclusions.<\/p>\n
\u201cFar too many survivors are still being told they do not qualify for redress because they were in the \u2018wrong institution\u2019; because they did not spend enough time there; or because their experiences do not fit neatly into the State\u2019s criteria.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are people who experienced institutional abuse, forced separation, neglect and unpaid labour. Decades after they were failed by the State, they are now being failed again through exclusionary redress processes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current approach risks creating what survivor advocates have described as \u2018a hierarchy of suffering\u2019, where some are recognised while others continue to be left behind. Patricia Carey, Special Advocate for Survivors, highlighted concerns that current schemes are exclusionary and continue to reinforce unequal treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government cannot allow a hierarchy of survivors to exist. Trauma should not be measured by an arbitrary number of days spent in an institution. Survivors who spent less than six months in mother and baby institutions, those who were boarded out, and many others who remain outside existing schemes, continue to be retraumatised because of their exclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere must now be a particular focus on survivors who were boarded out, many of whom experienced exploitation, neglect and abuse after being placed in private homes and farms, but who remain excluded from meaningful redress.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecognition without redress is not enough. The State must move beyond acknowledgement and deliver justice for those survivors who continue to be excluded. An apology on its own cannot be the end point.<\/p>\n
\u201cA greater effort is needed to ensure that survivors can access the supports available to them, particularly older people and those living abroad.<\/p>\n
\u201cTime matters. Many survivors are elderly and have spent decades fighting for recognition. The Government cannot continue to delay while people wait for justice. The review of redress schemes must be used as an opportunity to build an inclusive system based on equality, fairness and the principle that no survivor is left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
ENDS
\nMay 27, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Current exclusion policies applied to institutional abuse redress schemes are creating a hierarchy of survivors, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins, who is the party\u2019s education spokesperson, said: \u201cThousands of survivors continue to face barriers to recognition and support because of arbitrary eligibility rules and exclusions. \u201cFar too many survivors are still […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[540,581,556,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-children","category-jen-cummins","category-mother-and-baby-homes","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n