Debate contribution: Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 19 May 2026.

MLA

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

19 May 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5550090

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The group 3 amendments deal with the application process and are largely a tidying-up process. This is the final group of amendments that we will consider today, so I want to take the opportunity to put on record my thanks to the Committee Chair, Paula Bradshaw. She has done tremendous work, has been very committed to the Bill and has ensured that it was given the transparency and scrutiny that it deserved. I really appreciate that. I also thank my colleagues from the Executive Office Committee. We have worked together on the scrutiny. We sometimes do not get the best press when it comes to working together, but this Bill was definitely a standout in that regard. I want to recognise that. As I said in my first contribution, it has been a long day for the victims and survivors who have joined us and those who are, perhaps, listening at home. I thank you for allowing us to take the journey with you. It has been difficult.

There are standout people. The Chair is right to recognise Marie Breen Smyth, who has been tremendous. She has been a conduit of support not only for the victims and survivors but for us, as a Committee, as we got into the body of the Bill. At its core, the Bill is about recognition for people who were failed by systems of authority for too long. For decades, the survivors were denied their basic dignity. While many of the amendments in the group may appear to be technical in nature and a sweep to tidy up any loose ends, they are still important because they shape how accessible, compassionate and effective the redress process will ultimately be. The amendments that relate to applications, appeals, legal assistance and public awareness all point towards the same principle: that survivors should not be left to navigate the process alone. For many people, engaging with a scheme like this will reopen many more painful memories and deeply personal experiences. The process therefore has to be survivor-led and focused at every stage. That includes ensuring that people are aware of the scheme; that there is access to advice and support; and that applications are dealt with fairly and sensitively. We welcome the amendments that strengthen the governance arrangement for the service. Confidence in the process matters enormously. Survivors need to know that decisions will be made independently, professionally and with appropriate safeguards in place. The amendments that relate to consequential changes across social security legislation are also important, because redress payments should not create unintended financial consequences for survivors and families. We talked about that at length in the process of scrutinising the Bill. The payments are about the acknowledgement of historical wrongs; they should not end up disadvantaging people elsewhere in the system. While we understand the intention behind amendment No 42, we would seek assurances that any mechanism that is created to allow payments to be nominated to another individual, where no eligible relative can be identified, ensures fairness in the system. I agree that that might be better addressed through secondary legislation just so that there are protections in place and we understand those protections. Again, I will wait to hear from the Member who tabled that amendment. Throughout the debate, Members from across the Chamber have spoken about truth, accountability and dignity. That reflects the significance of what survivors have achieved in bringing us to this point. The legislation exists because of the courage of people who refused to allow their experiences to remain hidden; people who spoke out despite years of stigma and silence; and people who kept pushing for acknowledgement, even when many believed that they would never receive it. The Bill will not erase the past, but it can help to deliver something for which survivors have waited a long time: recognition, accountability and a process that finally places their experiences at the centre. Responsibility to deliver that now rests with all of us.

664 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:45 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification