A new payment scheme has opened. It provides financial and health support to eligible persons who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home institutions in the Republic of Ireland.
Mother and Baby Institutions payment scheme
You can apply to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme (MBIPS) via the online portal which you can access at www.gov.ie/paymentscheme. If you’re applying online, you’ll first need to create an account on the portal. If you would prefer to apply via a paper application there are 2 options:
- Download a copy of the application at gov.ie/paymentscheme, or
- Contact the MBIPS offfice on +353 1 522 9992 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm) or by email at [email protected] to request a copy of the application form by post or email.
A list of institutions and eligibility criteria for the scheme have also been published. Applications will be processed according to age of the applicant, with older applicants being prioritised.
Special advocate for survivors
Patricia Carey has been appointed to the role of Special Advocate for Survivors. Her remit will encompass Mother and Baby Institutions, County Home Institutions, Magdalen Laundries, Industrial and Reformatory Schools, and related institutions. She will also advocate for people who have been adopted, boarded out or who are the subject of an illegal birth registration.
Ms Carey previously served as CEO of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, leading the authority’s work on the landmark Birth Information and Tracing Act. She has also been Director of Services for St Vincent De Paul, and has held various volunteer leadership roles, including chairing Connect Counselling for survivors of institutional abuse. She was a founding member of Dublin’s Outhouse, a resource centre for the LGBT+ community. As an adopted person born in a Mother and Baby home, she will bring her unique lived experience as well as her wide-ranging professional skills to the role.
Survivors living outside Northern Ireland
In related news, a series of international initiatives has commenced. These aim to spread awareness of entitlements for victims of institutional childhood abuse living outside Northern Ireland. The office of Northern Ireland’s Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Child Abuse, Fiona Ryan, will run awareness raising campaigns in the UK and further afield.
Aimed at victims and survivors living outside of Northern Ireland, the goal is to increase awareness of the support, services and financial redress compensation available and provide information on how to apply.
Support services
If you’re affected by any of the content supplied in this article, you may want to consider getting additional support. The following services might be useful to you:
Connect Counselling
An anonymous professional telephone counselling service for survivors of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Freephone in the UK and Northern Ireland +44 (0) 800 477 477 77. connectcounselling.ie
ICAP
ICAP is the only specialist British-based counselling and psychotherapy service supporting people from the Irish community facing a range of emotional issues, including depression, anxiety and stress. Helpline: +44 (0) 207 272 7906.icap.org.uk
Irish Community Care and/or Fréa
Assisting with gaining access to the Irish Government’s payment scheme for mothers and children who were resident in specific institutions, they also offer some advice in accessing records and other aspects of the redress scheme. There is more information here: frea.org.uk/motherandbabyhomes
Justice for Magdalenes Research
A resource for people affected by and interested in Ireland’s Magdelene Institutions, is accessible here: jfmreasearch.com
Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation
To access the Irish Government’s report and additional information, visit: gov.ie/en/collection/mbhcoi
My Data Rights
A resource for people affected by the ‘historical’ human rights violations in Ireland provides information for survivors of the Irish industrial and reformatory schools about using GDPR protocols to gain access to personal information. The website contains downloadable guides and template letters for requesting personal data and for complaining to the Data Protection Commission if necessary. This is a project of the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway. mydatarights.ie
Samaritans, The
The Samaritans offer a non-judgmental listening service, whatever you are going through. Call free, 24/7 in the UK, on 116 123. samaritans.org
Sexual Violence Support (North West)
A service to help locate the relevant support services for those who have suffered sexual violence across the North West. sexualviolencesupport.co.uk
Survivors Trust, The
The Survivors Trust has 120 member organisations based in the UK and Ireland. The trust provides specialist support for women, men & children who have survived rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse. thesurvivorstrust.org
Tuam Home Survivors Network
Survivors helping survivors. tuamhomesurvivors.com
NB: This information was tested and accessible on 23 Mar 2024. It is not an exhaustive list of services available.