Consultation events in Omagh and Dungannon for abuse survivors

SURVIVORS and those affected by the North’s Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses are being urged to share their views on forthcoming legislation at a series of events this month.

The Committee for the Executive Office will host three sessions in October to hear directly from people impacted by the Inquiry and Redress Scheme Bill, which was introduced to the Assembly in June.

The Bill proposes a statutory inquiry into institutions that operated between 1922 and 1995, alongside a redress scheme for victims and survivors.

The first event will take place at the Hill of The O’Neill in Dungannon on Wednesday, October 15, from 10.30am to 12 noon.

Later that day, a second roundtable will be held at the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh, from 1.30pm to 3pm.

A third and final session will be hosted in Belfast on Wednesday, October 22. Committee chair Paula Bradshaw said the discussions are a vital opportunity for survivors and their families to shape how the Bill progresses.

“These roundtable discussions will give those impacted by the Bill an opportunity to tell us their views or raise concerns about the impact of the Bill,” she explained.

“We hope those who might not usually interact with the Committee, as well as groups who may be directly or indirectly affected, will take the time to sit down and share their opinions with us.”

The Committee has already completed an online public consultation on the draft legislation, but members stress that in-person contributions will carry the same weight as written submissions. All discussions will be recorded and published as part of the formal record at Committee Stage.

Ms Bradshaw added, “We deeply value the lived experiences and personal first-hand accounts we have heard of those affected by Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries, and Workhouses. They have been instrumental in shaping the development of the Bill.”

Anyone wishing to attend one of the roundtable events must register by Wednesday, October 8 by emailing cteotrconsultation@niassembly.gov.uk.