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LAST UPDATE | 22 Feb 2023
THE GOVERNMENT’S MOTHER and Baby Home Redress Bill has passed through the Dáil after a vote on the legislation tonight.
The final vote was 73 in favour, 62 against. The Bill will now go to the Seanad for further debate.
There were heated exchanges in the Dáil chamber this evening as members of the opposition warned that the Government will face future legal action from people who are excluded from the scheme.
Richard Boyd-Barrett labelled the scheme “morally obnoxious”, while Holly Cairns said it is “callous”.
Many survivors, legal experts and members of the opposition have been very critical in recent months of the fact the scheme excludes people who spent less than six months in an institution as a child.
Labour TD Seán Sherlock noted that the current scheme excludes about 24,000 survivors – about 40% of the overall number – and said the six-month rule is arbitrary.
“I also want to revisit the point that has been made umpteen times at this stage where we want to speak for the 40% of survivors who will not have eligibility for any redress by dint of the fact that they did not meet the six-month requirement.
“And we know on the basis of fairness and equity, that that six-month requirement is arbitrary and permits no consideration of the context of a person’s life.
The very fact that if a child is resident for 180 days that they receive a sum or have some eligibility for a scheme, but that anybody who was there less than six months get zero is completely unfair.
“And I have no doubt in my mind that this will have to be revisited again at some future date. And I’ve no doubt in my mind that this is an issue that will come before the courts, as sure as night follows day.
“I, at this 11th hour, ask the minister, please, to have regard for those babies, those people, those persons, those human beings who were resident for that period of time from from birth to six months to please be included in the scheme on the basis of fairness, justice, equity, so that the scheme can encompass more people,” Sherlock stated.
Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae also stressed that future legal battles between excluded survivors and the State are inevitable, adding that the Government “won’t have a leg to stand on”.
A phone repeatedly went off during Healy-Rae’s contribution. When Sherlock interjected to ask for the phone to be turned off as he couldn’t hear Healy-Rae properly, the Kerry TD hit out at Sherlock for “interrupting” him.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett, who was born in a mother and baby home, said the six-month rule is “morally obnoxious”.
He said he finds it “quite extraordinary” that despite the issue being consistently raised by survivors, politicians and thousands of members of the public via an email campaign, “we still have not got a reasonable, if any, justification from the Government as to why they have the arbitrary exclusion of six months”.
Children Minister Roderic O’Gorman has insisted that the Government is listening to survivors, noting the scheme will be non-adversarial. He and other government ministers have repeatedly defended the redress scheme, saying it is the largest initiative of its kind in the history of the Irish State.
During the debate Social Democrats’ TD Holly Cairns reiterated that the six-month rule is “callous”.
“People who spent any time in a mother and baby home deserve reparations, I know that you know that we all know that,” Cairns told O’Gorman.
“Survivors have suffered long trauma because of forced family separation, the breaking of that bond between parent and child.
“Today, this Minister, this Government and every single Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party backbencher, and a few independent TDs who quietly support them, will vote to exclude 40% of survivors.
“You will put on the record of the Dáil that survivors of illegal adoption, forced labour, illegal medical trials, forced family separation and sexual and emotional abuse deserve nothing.
“That will be your legacy when the history books of mother and baby homes are updated to cover this shameful scheme and those who supported it,” Cairns stated.
She said that survivors and campaigners do not trust the Government.
“Why, for one second, should they trust anything that comes from this Government and from the State?
“Their lives have been shaped by abuse, human rights violations and suffering they endured in these institutions. A State-funded, Church-run system denied them some of the most basic dignities both in the homes and then for the rest of their lives.
“For decades, the Church and State have conspired to oppress survivors, deny their rights and make them fight tooth and nail for any progress. We’re talking about some of the worst crimes imaginable.
“I feel like I’ve said these words so many times in this chamber – forced family separation; incarceration; illegal adoptions; forced labour; illegal medical trials; denial of your dignity; and physical, emotional and sexual abuse all systematically targeted at the most vulnerable in society.”
Most amendments to the Bill put forward by the opposition were rejected. Several amendments – including extending the scheme to include all survivors – were rejected in a previous debate earlier this month.
Independent TD Catherine Connolly – who has consistently spoken out against the redress scheme, including earlier today – was unable to attend this evening’s debate as she is unwell, TD Thomas Pringle informed the chamber.
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Or maybe just stop over selling flights.
@Scundered: It’s common practice with most airlines. It’s happened me twice but I was happy to accept the offer of a free upgrade on one flight and on another I took the next flight and got a voucher for another return flight within 12 months.
@Scundered: that’s an option but if airlines stopped overselling seats, the price per seat would increase. I worked for AerLingus and some of the transatlantic services could sometimes be overbooked by as much as 10%. The majority of the time this wouldn’t cause any issue. But other times……
@Darren Doyle McCormack: But both Ryanir and Norwegian NEVER oversell seats and they dont need to increase fares..
@iMoan Brutal: Thanks for capitalising never. Would never have got your point without it! Ryanair never sold business tickets that were fully changeable. The type of passenger who flies long haul would be more likely to change their plans than someone going on a city break to Europe. Ryanair and AerLingus have very different business models.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: exactly, totally different business model. Also, very few ryanair passengers come from connecting flights, which reduces the chances of them not turning up. AerLingus are partners with JetBlue, British Airways, United Airlines and Flybe. If you are booked on an oversold flight, or you miss a connecting flight, you can get a later flight with a partner airline if they have capacity.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: then don’t sell changeable tickets. Sorted.
@Yer Man: Plans change. Business passengers may have a meeting that runs over or someone may be late due to an inbound connection. Life is not black and white.
At least you’ve got a better chance of “winning” 10k compared to scratch cards!
Slap, €1000
Punch €3000
Dragging €5000
Video of incident shared on social media €10000
@Matt Connolly: Having your past dragged up by gutter journalists: priceless.
@Matt Connolly: It was worth it for the Memes.
@Ben McArthur: and it wasn’t even him, they dug up dirt on the wrong guy
ok Michael O Leary -over to you.
@Bennythekid: whats over to him? He doesnt overbook flights so its none of his concern.
@deisecelt: don’t know where the Journal is coming from with this story the maximum amount of compensation allowed to be paid fur bumping a passenger is $1,350
@deisecelt: where did i mention anything about overbooked flights.
@Bennythekid: I think it’s more a question of what do you mean by over to you michael. As it’s nothing to do with Ryanair. But if you’d read the article or comments you’d know that
@Michael Hayden: double scores-25/50
So it’s ten grand or the slaps. That makes it really easy.
And if no one wants it, will you be dragged from your fully paid seat?!
@john Appleseed: you will be ejected from private property.
I still don’t believe over selling seats is a legitimate business practice, in what other industry can you sell something twice and hope someone doesn’t pick up their purchase so as to lower the unit cost of the product?
@RMcG: Its not exactly selling something twice. Its very common on medium/long haul flights, when a lot of passengers will be coming to the gate from many different connecting flights, and not just arriving at the airport’s departures area. All large airlines that offer intercontinental tickets will have partnerships with other airlines that cover similar routes. If you are on a flight that is oversold, you will be compensated for it, and given the next free space the airline, or a partner airline has. Its the same if you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, you will be put on the next available flight by that airline, or a partner airline. For example, I flew back to Dublin via Newark in February. My United flight into Newark was delayed by 3 hours, so I missed my connecting Aer Lingus flight in Newark, however I was put on the next United flight to Dublin a few hours later. If that United flight was fully booked, but 20 passengers were not going to show up, as their connecting flight was also delayed, then it makes sense for the airline to let me take their seats, rather than have 20 empty seats on the flight, and pay to put me up in a hotel until the next seat is available. Bear in mind, the cost of putting me up in a hotel would then need to be recouped by the airline, through increased ticket sales. Overselling allows airlines to keep planes as full as possible, and keep ticket sales as low as possible.
Please tell me which flight is overbooked and l will book it now
@pat seery: it’s pure PR it ain’t real as the maximum they can pay under US law is $1,350
@Boganity: Actually they can pay whatever they want above that figure if they choose to do so. There are 3 levels of remuneration depending on length of delay, how soon to your original arrival time the airline can get you there, whether you have to over night or not. Delta for instance allows its senior customer service personnel to offer up to $10,000 to ‘bumped’ passengers and that can be in cash or travel vouchers. Each airline has to meet the minimum requirements set by law, which to date do not include losing two teeth and getting yer nose broke.
Spend the money hiring proper staff not thugs
@Stouts O Shea:
They were the airport police and not UA staff
What is the guy they dragged off getting in compensation?
@Alan: don’t know but’ll it’ll have seven seven numbers and two commas in it
That dragged guy apology interview with CEO Munoz is worth watching for entertainment values, Comedy Central, winner so far for BS talk of 2017.
They will be paying Mr Dao considerably more than 10k
Too late too late.!
They are damaged forever.
in vouchers,
@Maurice Slater: to be used off peak in days that don’t have an “a” in them
and a free slap
Did Munoz mention the bunny wabbit?
Surely this overbooking is just pure greed by airlines. Anyone who books a flight has to pay in advance so whether or not they show up the seat is paid for. Therefore the airlines are trying to get seats paid for twice. Obviously to business people this is good practice. Justice doesn’t come into it. Well I hope people will choose their airline more carefully. As for Ryanair I’ve never had a problem and I definitely have never seen anyone dragged off a plane
The airline is trying to redeem some level of responsibility back after the PR nightmare of recent weeks. Buy all accounts their stock has taken a high hit and the shareholders are losing value on their stake. Desperation tactics.
I’d sit there and demand 20k with my phone out lol
Do you have to take a mandatory beating by armed gun crazy American police before you volunteer?
Here a novel to make money and s the world book flights as late as possible an hope f a over booking.
Reason I book my seat so can’t remove me
Others try to save that 10e but worth it for peace of mind .
Would rather get dragged off and sue them for 10 million.
have your say