AQW 11064/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 30/04/2024
Answered On Date: 10/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the steps they (i) have taken; and (ii) will take to ensure the relevant religious institutions contribute financially to the redress scheme in recognition of their role in the historical institutional abuse of children.

Answer:

On 28 July 2021 Mr Paul Sweeney was appointed as an Independent Facilitator to take forward negotiations with the six voluntary institutions. Following a meeting between Ministers, the institutions and the Independent Facilitator in October 2021, Mr Sweeney drafted a framework for reaching an agreement between the Executive and the six voluntary institutions.

Mr Sweeney facilitated meetings with officials and the six institutions in April and May 2023 to discuss contributions and his proposed framework. Since then, there has been regular official-led engagement with the six institutions.

This engagement has included the production and scrutiny of accurate individual datasets for each institution, consideration of complex determinations where a victim or survivor may have been resident in multiple institutions, and consideration, on the basis of the Hart Report, of each institutions’ ability to pay and any payments or other outlay that the institutions may wish to be taken into account.

We met the Independent Facilitator last month for a positive discussion regarding the next stages of the process.

Constructive discussions on appropriate contributions from the institutions are ongoing. As recommended by the Hart Report, if an agreement as to the amount to be paid cannot be reached, we will submit all issues to mediation. If mediation fails, then all remaining issues will be dealt with by agreeing with the relevant institutions to submit to binding arbitration.