Ahead of the report from the Commission of Inquiry into Mother and Baby Homes, the Government has been urged to provide additional supports for the survivors.
The Christine Buckley Centre for Education and Support has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Government to adopt measures to address the ongoing needs of survivors of the dark past of Ireland’s institutions.
Manager of the centre, Nóra Dempsey said there are five key asks that the centre had identified with other groups in the Facing the Future Together Report that needs to be provided for Survivors
• Enhanced medical cards and support with housing.
• Continuation of free easily accessible counselling services for survivors and their families.
• Provision of advocacy supports for survivors in the long-term, including accessing public services, linkage with support services, homelessness and addiction supports.
• All medical and public service staff working in a customer-facing role should receive trauma-informed practice training on how to identify survivors and the different approaches to the support they may require.
• Identification of supports needed by survivors based outside of Ireland.
Meanwhile, Barnardos Post Adoption Service will extend its confidential and professionally staffed support line from tomorrow, (Tuesday, January 12th).
Support groups for adopted adults and birth mothers will also be available.
Barnardos has provided a therapeutic post adoption service and a family tracing service for people who spent their childhoods in institutional care for more than 30 years.
Christine Hennessy, Barnardos post adoption service leader, said: “The launch of this long awaited report will cause distress and pain to many people around the country. Aspects of the report plus the delay in the Information and Tracing Legislation is causing a lot of worry and anxiety for many at this time. We want them to know that we are here.”
