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

Debate contribution by Ms Aisling Reilly on 30 June 2026.

MLA: Ms Aisling Reilly
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 30 June 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Final Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5653293

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.
At the outset, like other Members, I welcome and pay tribute to all of you in the Public Gallery. Many of you have travelled in order to be here throughout the Bill's stages. I also mention those who cannot be here in person but who are watching online, and, of course, I make special mention of those who are no longer with us. Today is a hugely significant day for all victims and survivors, and it is only right and proper that we mark it as the significant milestone that it undoubtedly is. Today belongs to you. Just over 12 months ago, when introducing the Bill to establish an inquiry into mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses and an associated redress scheme, the First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, said:
"These institutions and practices were a product of systemic misogyny. The regime inflicted on women and girls, many while heavily pregnant, was appalling and constituted cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Today, we also must also acknowledge that not only did women have their rights grossly denied within these institutions, so too did their children, now adults. They too were failed on every level."
Dealing with that injustice was core to the approach of the Bill. Before concluding deliberations on the Bill, I will bring our focus back to the women and children — now adults — their families and all survivors whose experiences have brought us to this point. I join junior Minister Bunting in reiterating my thanks to every one of those people, without whom we would, no doubt, not be where we are today. I thank you for your courage, tenacity and dedication and for the generosity that you have shown not just in giving your time but in sharing your experiences, which, I know, can evoke complex and difficult emotions for so many. On a personal note, I want to say how much of a privilege it has been for me to lead on the legislation's passage through the House on behalf of the Executive Office. I hope that it now respects and fulfils the wishes of the women and girls who, for many decades, have suffered and been silenced. It is a large, complex and sensitive piece of legislation. It is, no doubt, much more complex legislation than it first appeared, and there were many factors to balance. In our view, it is one of the most significant Bills that the Assembly will pass in this mandate, establishing, as it will, a statutory inquiry for those affected by mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses and a redress scheme. The Bill, as a whole, is estimated to cost £118 million, and it will provide redress to many thousands of individuals. That represents a significant commitment from the Executive to deliver on the agreed recommendations from the truth recovery design panel. Today, as we mark this momentous step closer to the establishment of an inquiry, I hope that many victims and survivors will feel able to take in this moment and to look around and congratulate themselves for all their hard work, relentless efforts and campaigning that helped us to get to where we are today. Indeed, it has been a collective effort, involving countless hours of deliberation, consultation, meetings, debates and decisions. As well as thanking every one of the victims and survivors who have contributed, I take the opportunity to also thank the Members of the House past and present and, in particular, the Committee Chair and Committee members, who worked so diligently and carefully to study and examine the Bill, to listen to victims and survivors and to bring to the House amendments to potentially improve the Bill. The House listened carefully and made final decisions to the best of its ability, given the many factors to balance. I think that we can agree that what we now have is a Bill that meets the needs of victims and survivors and is fit for purpose. The Bill in front of us has largely been informed and shaped by the voices, efforts and experiences of victims and survivors, and I publicly acknowledge and thank them for their efforts. Throughout the passage of the legislation, Members have rightly focused on clauses, amendments and schedules, and those things are important, because they will help make sure that the inquiry that is established is robust, independent and capable of delivering meaningful findings. However, the legislation is ultimately about people. It is about women and girls whose lives were shaped by powerful systems and institutions that exercised profound power over them; it is about women and girls who have lived for decades with unanswered questions; and it is about women and girls who have often felt that their experiences were silenced, overlooked or simply forgotten. For too many years, the lives of too many of those women and girls and their children, who are now adults, were scarred by their experiences in the institutions, and those scars and wounds only deepened with time. Trauma is sometimes buried so deeply that only the truth can begin to diminish its hold. There is a shameful and ugly truth that we all must confront: it was not just the institutions and the state that played such a harmful role in the lives of many of the victims and survivors; society also failed so many women and girls, as it collectively turned a blind eye to the misogyny, sexism and heartbreaking lack of humanity. It is only by addressing the truths hidden in dark shadows that we can begin to properly shine a light on a society that continues to violate and oppress too many women and girls and to make sure that it never happens again and that, together, we commit to breaking the cycle of harm and violence against women and girls. The inquiry that will be established by the Bill will seek to uncover facts, examine evidence, hear testimony and build the fullest possible understanding of what happened to those young women and girls and their children in those institutions. It will uncover and better understand the pathways and practices that led women and children into and out of the institutions. For many survivors, however, the significance of the inquiry goes beyond its legal powers or investigative functions. For them, what matters is knowing that there will finally be an independent process dedicated to hearing their voices that is designed not to dismiss difficult experiences but to examine them. A process that recognises that personal testimony is not simply evidence but an essential part of understanding our history. That is why victims and survivors have been so integral to the development of the arrangements. It is why the legislation contains provisions intended to make sure that their perspectives must remain core to the work of the inquiry, and it is why we have sought to build a framework that is capable of operating in a manner that is respectful, compassionate and mindful of the trauma that many women and girls and their now-adult children continue to carry. For some, the prospect of engaging with the inquiry may feel daunting. For that reason, we listened to victims and survivors when they told us that they wanted us to create a dual investigation, so that individuals had the option to engage with an expert independent panel and provide testimony in a different and more informal setting. The process is now complete, and we very much look forward to the launch of the independent panel's report next week, on 7 July. To those of you who may be doubtful and question whether they should engage in the statutory inquiry that the Bill will establish I say this: please consider it carefully. We understand that some may question whether revisiting painful memories is worthwhile, and others may wonder whether one person's account can truly make a difference. My message to those individuals is simple: your voice is important; your voice matters; and your experience matters. Your contribution could help provide answers not only for you but for the countless others whose lives were impacted on by those institutions. Every testimony, family experience, record and piece of evidence has the potential to deepen our understanding of life in a mother-and-baby-home, a Magdalene laundry or a workhouse. The testimonies will help create a fuller and more accurate account of a chapter in history that has yet to be fully written. I now move to the second key element of the Bill. The redress scheme is unlike any other. It will give financial redress to victims and survivors before the completion and delivery of the findings of the inquiry. That came about because Ministers listened to the victims and survivors who set out their wish for a statutory redress scheme to provide financial acknowledgement before the work of the inquiry was finalised. The redress scheme provides an inclusive, supported and simple application process that does not require a statement of experience. It does not require an applicant to sign a waiver; payments will not impact on a person's social security payments; and there will be no deductions for any previous payments that a person may have had. Importantly, there will be support from community partners for applications to make sure that the scheme is simple and trauma-informed. I know that Members across the House will warmly welcome all of that. The standardised payment provided through the scheme will never reflect the entirety of what people endured: no payment could ever achieve that, nor is it intended to. As is only right and fair, some individuals will also be provided with an opportunity to apply for an individually assessed payment following the inquiry, which will go some way towards reflecting the more difficult experiences. That, however, is for another day and another piece of legislation. The creation of an independent redress service, supported by appropriate powers and safeguards, is intended to make sure that applications are handled fairly and consistently. Equally important is the fact that the scheme has evolved in response to the views of victims and survivors. The changes made following the consultation demonstrate our willingness to listen and adapt the scheme to better meet the needs of those it is intended to serve. It is also important that we remember those who are not here to see this day. Many people campaigned for acknowledgement, truth and redress but did not live long enough to witness the legislation reach its Final Stage today. We owe it to them and their families to make sure that their experiences remain part of the memorialisation initiatives and the historical record that the inquiry will establish. Pleased as we are to stand here today as the legislation passes, it goes without saying that no legislation can undo the harrowing experiences that have happened in the past. No Bill can erase the grief experienced by mothers who were separated from their children, by children who grew up without knowing who they are or by those whose lives were shaped by loss, shame, stigma and silence. What we can do is face that past honestly. We can create a process that seeks the truth wherever it leads, and we can acknowledge the experience of those affected.
We can provide a measure of recognition to people who have waited many years to receive it. That is exactly what the Bill seeks to achieve.
I say to the people who are still considering whether to come forward that your testimony matters. To those who have spent years searching for answers, I say that the inquiry will seek those answers. To all who were affected, I say that the Assembly recognises the importance of the truth and of acknowledging the impact that those institutions had on people's lives. Today is not, by any means, the end of that journey. Rather, it opens the door to an important new part of the journey. We wish to assure each and every one of you that we will continue to work to implement the legislation in full and at as quick a pace as the process provides. Today is an important step towards truth, acknowledgement, accountability and, we hope, a greater measure of understanding for all of those affected. In closing, I thank our officials, including Martin Carey, and Michaela, Francesca, Stephanie, Pauline and the rest of the truth recovery team for their efforts. Their efforts, dedication and professionalism have been central to shaping the delivery of this essential legislation. Finally, we hope that those who are gathered in the Public Gallery and those who are watching online feel the significance of this moment, because it belongs to you. We commend each and every one of you and all those whose voices you carry with you. Although this is the Final Stage of this Bill, it is certainly not the end. We will walk with you every step of the way. Today is your day. I commend the Bill to the House.

2,168 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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