Expert legal Advice
Mother and Baby Home Redress Scheme
Mulholland Law provides compassionate legal support for the Mother and Baby Home Redress Scheme.
Mother and Baby Redress Scheme
The legislation has successfully passed all stages of the legislative process and has been officially signed into law by President Michael D Higgins. Presented below are detailed insights tailored to our community’s needs. The Mother and Baby Redress Initiative is meticulously outlined, addressing various frequently asked questions concerning its implementation.
How we can help?
At Mulholland Law our team is committed to providing consultations and assistance in preparing all necessary documentation related to the compensation scheme for mother and baby homes.
Where applicable, we will identify and assist elderly or unwell applicants for expedited consideration by the redress board.
Compensation Disbursement Protocol
The scheme outlines compensation amounts, with an initial base figure set at €5,000.
This base amount* is applicable to mothers who resided in the institution for up to 89 days, increasing to €12,500 for those with a minimum of 180 days residency, and so forth. These figures could be further enhanced with the inclusion of commercial work payments**
While the scheme’s announcement will be welcomed by many, there remains a significant portion of the community excluded. These include adoptees who spent less than 180 days in residency and those from institutions not included in the redress list.
This exclusion persists despite widespread calls for the inclusion of those with shorter residency periods and those from omitted institutions.*
**This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature and duration of work undertaken and the institution. Contact us to determine your eligibility for an additional minimum of €1,500 (and up to €60,000 depending on your residency duration at the institution).
The updated payments for the Mother and Baby Redress Initiative are as follows*
Mothers’ Payments: View Here
Children’s Payments: View Here
Scheme Particulars
For Mothers
The legislation stipulates that any mother who spent time in a mother and baby institution in Ireland for any duration will be eligible for compensation.
Compensation will be awarded if the individual resided in one of the 14 mother and baby homes or any of the state’s county homes. Unfortunately, redress is not extended beyond these institutions at present.
List of eligible institutions for the scheme.
Compensation levels increase based on residency duration. Refer to the attached document for detailed figures. Compensation starts at €5,000 and increases to €10,000 after 90 days. Additional payments are applicable if the individual engaged in ‘commercial work.’
Details regarding ‘commercial work’ are not explicitly outlined in the legislation. Where applicable, an applicant can seek compensation if they engaged in work outside the home (such as child-minding) or within the home for commercial purposes, such as producing items for sale by religious orders to third parties.
Redress also extends to young mothers under 18 during their stay.
Compensation Scheme for Children/Adoptees
The Mother and Baby Redress Initiative has dealt a significant blow to adoptees and child residents of these institutions. The legislation requires all adoptees to have resided for 180 days or more to be eligible. Once the residency requirement is met, the rates will be identical to those for mothers.
It is important to note that Mulholland Law continues to pursue legal cases before the courts regarding this arbitrary restriction.
Unfortunately, redress is not extended beyond the listed institutions at present.
List of institutions eligible for the Redress Scheme
Mother and Baby Homes investigated by the Commission
| Location | Other names |
| Carlow | Sacred Heart Home and Hospital, Carlow |
| Cavan | St. Felim’s County Home and Hospital, Cavan |
| Clare (Ennis) | St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ennis |
| Cork (City) | Cork County Home and District St. Finbarr’s |
| Cork (Midleton) | Our Lady of Lourdes Home, Midleton |
| Cork (Clonakilty) | Mount Carmel Home, Clonakilty |
| Cork (Fermoy) | St. Patrick’s Hospital, Fermoy |
| Donegal (Stranorlar) | St. Joseph’s Home, Stranorlar |
| Dublin (St. Kevin’s Institution) | Initially the Dublin Union; |
| Galway (Loughrea) | St. Brendan’s Home, Loughrea |
| Kerry (Killarney) | St. Columbanus Home, Killarney |
| Kildare (Athy) | St. Vincent’s Hospital, Athy |
| Kilkenny (Thomastown) | St. Columba’s County Home, Thomastown |
| Laois (Mountmellick) | St. Vincent’s Hospital, Mountmellick |
| Leitrim (Carrick-on-Shannon) | St. Patrick’s Home, Carrick-on-Shannon |
| Limerick (Newcastlewest) | St. Ita’s Home, Newcastlewest |
| Limerick (City Home and Hospital) | St. Camillus Hospital, Limerick |
| Longford | St. Joseph’s Hospital, Longford |
| Mayo (Castlebar) | Sacred Heart Home, Castlebar |
| Meath (Trim) | St. Joseph’s Home, Trim |
| Monaghan (Castleblayney) | St. Mary’s Hospital, Castleblayney |
| Offaly (Tullamore) | St. Vincent’s Hospital, Tullamore |
| Roscommon | Sacred Heart Home, Roscommon |
| Sligo | St. John’s Hospital, Sligo |
| Tipperary North (Thurles) | Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles |
| Tipperary South (Cashel) | St. Patrick’s Hospital, Cashel |
| Waterford (Dungarvan) | St. John’s Hospital, Dungarvan |
| Westmeath (Mullingar) | St. Mary’s Hospital, Mullingar |
| Wexford (Enniscorthy) | St. John’s Hospital, Enniscorthy |
| Wicklow (Rathdrum) | St. Colman’s, Rathdrum |
Mother and Baby Homes investigated by the commission
| St Patrick’s / Pelletstown, Navan Road, Dublin 7 |
| The Tuam Children’s Home, Tuam, Co. Galway |
| Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, Cork |
| Manor House Castlepollard |
| Sean Ross Abbey |
| Árd Mhuire Dunboyne |
| Bethany Home, Dublin |
| Denny House, Dublin |
| Miss Carr’s Flatlets, Dublin |
| The Regina Coeli Hostel, Dublin |
| The Castle Newtowncunningham, Co. Donegal |
| The County Clare Nursery, Kilrush, Co. Clare |
| Belmont Flatlets, Dublin |
| St. Gerard’s, Dublin |
*Please note that on the 12th of July 2022, the Oireachtas joint committee recommended that the following institutions should be included.
- St. Patrick’s Guild
- Temple Hill
- St Josephs – Stamullen
- St. Annes – Stamullen
- West Bank – Greystones
Even if you are unlikely to be included in the scheme due to residency requirements or because your institution is not listed, Mulholland Law would still like to hear from you.
We may be able to assist by reviewing your circumstances and offering insights into potential options.