THE GOVERNMENT HAS spent less than 7% of its budget for compensating survivors of mother and baby homes, one year after the opening of the redress scheme.

To date, only €55m of the €800m available has been spent, according to figures released in response to a parliamentary question by MEP Kathleen Funchion.

Around 34,000 people are eligible to apply for redress under the scheme. However, thousands of survivors are excluded including those who spent less than six months in an institution as a child.

Funchion said the underspend shows that the exclusion of thousands of survivors from the scheme was a “punitive measure” and “totally unneccesary”.

A number of people who are excluded are taking legal action against the State.

“With such a large portion of the funds untouched, I am left to question the government’s commitment to attempting to offer redress to the survivors of mother and baby institutions and would call on the Minister to revisit the exclusion of survivors resident in an institution less than six months,” Funchion said.

Many survivors aren’t aware they can apply or are intimidated by the online-only system, Funchion said.

“I would seriously question the government’s dedication to ensuring the scheme was widely published and, most importantly, I would ask did they work to assure survivors that they could apply for redress and remain anonymous.”

A number of survivors previously complained about the length of time it was taking to receive payment.

Funchion said she recently spoke to a woman who has been waiting months. “She was told her application wasn’t a priority as they are currently dealing with applicants over the age of 90.”

Funchion says it raises questions about the staffing levels behind the scheme.

The Journal previously reported that 5,495 applications were received by 18 November 2024, of which 5,046 were deemed ‘complete’ and were being processed. An application may be deemed ‘incomplete’ if certain documentation, such as a certified photo ID, is missing.

“Another issue that arises is around gaps in information, I couldn’t encourage people enough to apply, even if there are gaps in your information – my simple message is please apply,” said Funchion.